Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-10
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The parents of your Australian friend Chris have invited you to a surprise birthday party for him/her. Write a letter to Chris's parents. In your letter:
- say why you think Chris will enjoy the surprise party
- explain why you won't be able to attend the party
- give details of a plan to see Chris at a different time
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Dear sir,
I am sarabjeet kaur cheris's friend from india.i feel blessed when i read you invite me on cherish's birthday. am writing this letter to apologise for not attending the birthday party.
last sunday my father fell on stairs and his leg broke from the middle, however he is little bit fine.
but i can't leave him alone as my brother is also out of country for work.am the only one who can take care of him as my mother is also sick.
however, i am not be there for Birthday party bit cheris like these type of parties, like you can invite cheris childhood friend romie,he is returned in your town.cheris also like indian music amd cuisines so you can arrange these things for him, he will definitely enjoy this.
i will meet him in December when my brother come and also my father will be completely fit by the time.
i hope you will understand my problem and accept my apology.
your lovingly
sarabjeet kaur
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
The letter addresses all three required points: you explain that Chris enjoys parties, give a reason for your absence, and suggest meeting in December. The family circumstances make the apology understandable, and the ideas are relevant. However, some points are only briefly developed: the party suggestions about inviting Romie and arranging Indian music and food are not clearly connected to what Chris would enjoy, and the alternative meeting plan lacks a specific date or activity. The opening also does not follow the requested greeting, and the closing is very informal for a letter to a friend’s parents. Develop the suggestions and make the proposed visit more definite.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The information is presented in a broadly sensible order: you introduce yourself, explain why you cannot attend, offer party ideas, and propose a later meeting. Linking words such as “however” and “also” help connect some points. Nevertheless, the letter has little paragraphing, so the different purposes run together, and “however” is repeated without always showing a clear contrast. The sentence beginning “however, i am not be there” combines the apology and party suggestions in a confusing way. Separate the explanation, suggestions, and future plan into clear paragraphs, and use references such as “he” and “Chris” consistently so the reader can follow each idea easily.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some relevant vocabulary for the situation, including “surprise party,” “apologise,” “take care of him,” and “childhood friend.” These choices communicate the main message, but the range is limited and several word choices or spellings make the letter less natural, such as “fell on stairs,” “his leg broke from the middle,” and “cuisines.” Names are also spelled inconsistently (“cheris,” “cherish,” and “Chris”), which can confuse the reader. Aim for more precise, natural expressions and check spelling and capitalization. For example, describe the injury as a broken leg and refer consistently to Chris by the correct name.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response attempts to connect ideas in longer sentences, for example with “as” and “however,” but sentence structures are limited and errors occur frequently. Examples include “I am not be there,” “my brother come,” and “he is returned,” where verb forms are incorrect. There are also missing subjects or auxiliaries in “am writing this letter” and “am the only one,” as well as problems with articles and sentence boundaries. These errors sometimes make the meaning harder to follow, although the main message remains understandable. Practise accurate present and future forms, and check each sentence for a subject, a correctly formed verb, and appropriate punctuation.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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