Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-03
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 Mr and Mrs Collins,
I am writing this email to discuss a surprise birthday party for him.
Firstly, we should consider the importance of the parents of my Australian friend Chris, which will contribute to the overall efficiency and well being of the operation.
Also, if we take into account the likelihood of inviting me to a surprise birthday party for him, it is expected to have a threefold effect for several reasons saying why I think Chris will enjoy the surprise party, explaining why I won't be able to attend the party, and giving details of a plan to see Chris at a different time.
Furthermore, a surprise birthday party should not be neglected as it can increase the chances of success, effectiveness, quality of life and a positive environment. Moreover, food, dance and decoration also cannot neglected.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Kind regards,
Sharanjeet
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 fails to address the requirements of the task. While it mentions the prompt's bullet points in a meta-commentary style, it does not actually provide the content requested. For example, instead of explaining why Chris would enjoy the party or why the writer cannot attend, the text simply lists the instructions as if they were the content itself. The tone is inappropriate for a personal letter to a friend's parents, sounding more like a formal business report or an AI-generated template. The content is largely irrelevant to the scenario provided.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter uses some cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Also', and 'Furthermore', but these are used mechanically and do not create a logical flow of ideas. The paragraphing is present, but the content within the paragraphs is disjointed and lacks a clear progression. The referencing is confusing, particularly the use of 'him' without a clear antecedent, and the overall structure does not follow the conventions of a personal letter, making the communication difficult to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is highly inappropriate for the context of a personal letter. The writer uses overly formal, abstract, and business-oriented language such as 'contribute to the overall efficiency', 'well being of the operation', and 'threefold effect'. These terms are misused in this context, suggesting a lack of understanding of register. There is no attempt to use natural, conversational language suitable for writing to a friend's parents. The repetition of 'surprise birthday party' and 'him' further limits the lexical range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The sentence structures are repetitive and often awkward. While there are some complex sentence attempts, they are frequently grammatically incorrect or nonsensical, such as 'it is expected to have a threefold effect for several reasons saying why I think...'. There are also basic errors, such as the missing verb in 'food, dance and decoration also cannot neglected'. The control of grammar is weak, and the unnatural phrasing significantly hinders the reader's ability to understand the intended message.
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