Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-06
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 Chris,
I am writing this letter for thanking your parents for inviting me on your surprise birthday party. I really think that you will enjoy your surprise party allot because you will get different types of gifts and you can also enjoy with the friends and family .
Moreover, its hard you inform you that i can not able to attend your birthday party because of my exam in university. As, this is my final exam and its on the same day , so I cannot able to miss this exam . This exam also carried high marks weightage that direct reflect on my final year results .
However, we can meet after my exams at our old shopping plaza and we can enjoy . I can arrange the schduel acoording to that . I hope you will understand my situation and make some free time for our meeting plan . I will wait for your response.
Yours Lovingly,
Rober Hook
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You explained why Chris would enjoy the party, provided a reason for your absence, and suggested a follow-up meeting. However, there is a significant error in the task fulfillment regarding the recipient. The instructions explicitly state to write to 'Chris's parents' (Mr and Mrs Collins), but you addressed the letter to 'Dear Chris'. This is a major failure in following the task instructions, which impacts the overall tone and appropriateness of the letter. To improve, ensure you carefully read the prompt to identify the correct recipient before beginning your response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is organized into three distinct paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your ideas. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'However' to transition between points. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'its hard you inform you'. The progression of ideas is logical, but the connection between sentences could be smoother. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that your referencing (e.g., 'this exam') is clear and grammatically accurate throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite repetitive and lacks precision. For example, you use the word 'enjoy' three times in the first and third paragraphs. There are also some errors in word choice, such as 'allot' (should be 'a lot') and 'schduel' (spelling error). While your meaning is clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little attempt to use less common or more sophisticated language. To improve, try to use synonyms and ensure you check your spelling of common words.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter that occasionally impede clarity. You struggle with verb forms and modal verbs, such as 'i can not able to attend' (should be 'I will not be able to attend') and 'this exam also carried high marks weightage' (should be 'carries a high weighting'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing apostrophes in 'its' and 'cant'. While you attempt some complex structures, they are often faulty. You need to focus on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of modal verbs to improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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