Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-01
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 Aunt, Uncle,
I would like to thankyou for inviting me for cheis 's birthday party. I am so happy to hear that there is surprise party for my friend, but, unfortuney I am out of town and I have my exam next week. Due to this would not able to come to the birthday party. Because I need time to spend
on my study I promise to you
that I will come to
meet you all after
my exams. And I
decided to go out
with you all guys for
dinner and will do
alot of things.
I am so sorry at
this time that I
can not come.
I really appreciate you
Thankyou for inviting
me.
Jeenat Kals
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all three bullet points: it mentions why Chris would enjoy the party, explains the absence, and proposes a future meeting. However, the development of these ideas is very limited. The explanation for why Chris would enjoy the party is missing entirely, as you only acknowledge the invitation. Furthermore, the letter is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the development of your ideas. To improve, you must expand on your points—for example, by describing why Chris loves surprises or suggesting a specific date for your future meeting.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter lacks a clear structure. The paragraphing is fragmented, with many lines containing only a few words, which disrupts the flow of the text. While the purpose of the letter is clear, the lack of cohesive devices (such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in addition') makes the writing feel disjointed. To improve, group your ideas into clear, logical paragraphs: one for the opening and appreciation, one for the explanation of your absence, and one for the future plan. Using transition words will help connect your sentences more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive. You use simple phrases like 'go out' and 'do a lot of things', which lack the precision required for a higher band score. There are also several spelling errors, such as 'thankyou' (thank you), 'cheis' (Chris), and 'unfortuney' (unfortunately). To improve, try to use more descriptive language and ensure you check your spelling. Instead of 'do a lot of things', you could use 'catch up' or 'celebrate together'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, including missing articles ('have my exam'), incorrect verb forms ('would not able to'), and awkward sentence construction ('Due to this would not able to come'). The punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the fragmented line breaks. To improve, focus on basic sentence structure: ensure every sentence has a clear subject and verb. Practice using complex sentences with conjunctions like 'although' or 'because' to improve your range, while proofreading carefully to eliminate basic errors.
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