Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-29

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

A family member is coming to stay with you. He/she will be arriving by train in the morning, but you won’t be home until the evening.

• explain arrangements you have made for them to have keys and get into the house

• tell your relative how to get from the train station to your house

• say when you will be home and suggest what you could do together that evening

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Dear Isabella,

I hope you are doing well. It's been a while since we meet each other. However, I am writing this letter to inform you about your arrangements at my home.

To begin with, I am really excited to see you as we have not meet each other since 1 year. However, due to some unexpected work at my office, I might not be at home until the evening. Therefore, I will leave my house keys with my neighbors to get into the house.

Furthermore, I have booked a taxi from the train station for your easy travel to my home. Additionally, I have provided all your details to the driver. So, he would find you once you will reach at the station. I will try my best to reach home early around 6 pm. However, I have made dinner arrangements at home that evening. I can not wait to meet you again.

Bye, see you soon.

Warm regards,

Riddhi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully covers all bullet points required in the task instructions. You clearly explained the key arrangement by stating, "I will leave my house keys with my neighbors." You also gave specific directions regarding the station transport, noting, "I have booked a taxi from the train station for your easy travel." Finally, you stated when you will be home ("around 6 pm") and suggested an appropriate evening activity ("dinner arrangements at home that evening"). The tone is suitably friendly and informal for a relative. Although the opening sentence contains a slight error regarding how long it has been since you last met, all parts of the prompt are fully addressed with relevant, developed ideas, which aligns well with the requirements for a Band 7.0 score.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall structure with an appropriate salutation and sign-off. Paragraphing is used logically to separate different points, such as the key arrangements in the second paragraph and the transport, arrival time, and evening plans in the third paragraph. Cohesive devices like "To begin with," "Furthermore," and "Additionally" are employed to guide the reader through the text, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the repeated use of "However." Referencing is generally clear, ensuring the progression of ideas is easy to follow from start to finish. This demonstrates the characteristics of a Band 6.5 to 7.0, and a Band 6.5 is awarded here due to some slightly repetitive cohesive links.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate and generally appropriate for an informal letter. You attempt some less common vocabulary items such as "unexpected work," "arrangements," and "taxi." However, there are a few word choice and collocation errors that prevent a higher score, notably "since 1 year" instead of "for a year," and the repetitive use of conversational connectors. Additionally, the phrase "reach at the station" contains a minor preposition error ("reach" does not require "at"). Despite these occasional inaccuracies, communication is never impeded, and the range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning clearly, fitting the Band 6.0 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms throughout the letter, such as "I might not be at home until the evening" and "So, he would find you once you will reach at the station." There are several grammatical errors present, particularly with verb tenses and forms, such as "since we meet each other" (should be 'met') and "once you will reach" (should be 'reach'). Punctuation and sentence boundaries are generally well managed, but the recurring tense inconsistencies reduce the proportion of error-free sentences. Because these errors do not impede overall communication and a reasonable mix of structures is attempted, the response earns a solid Band 6.0.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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