Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-09

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. Sandhu

I am very grateful for your invitation you have sent me on your son and My friend birthday party. I know him from the childhood and I already know what he likes and dislikes. He will definitely like surprise and big gathering on his special day.

I feel sorry that I can miss this special occasion. My uncle and aunt have come from abroad. I need to attend him during their stay. They have come for my cousin's wedding. They do not know about the area so, I will help them with shopping and explore the area around. I feel a apologize this inconvenience this may cause.

My relatives will leave after one month. I have a meeting in Australia with foreign delegates. I will be able to meet you after my meeting and stay there for a week. I look forward to hearing from you.

With Regards,

Rakesh Kumar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

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 future meeting. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation for why you cannot attend is a bit repetitive regarding your relatives, and the plan to meet Chris is vague, as you mention a meeting with delegates but do not specify a clear time or location for catching up with your friend. To reach a higher band, ensure your ideas are more fully extended and relevant to the context of a friendly letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, each focusing on one of the required points. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'However' or 'Therefore' (though you could use more variety). There are some issues with referencing; for example, 'I need to attend him' is slightly unnatural, and the transition between the wedding guests and the business meeting feels a bit abrupt. The overall progression of ideas is clear, but the flow could be improved by using a wider range of linking words to connect your sentences more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the range and precision expected at higher levels. You use some basic phrasing, such as 'I feel sorry' and 'I need to attend him'. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'I feel a apologize' instead of 'I would like to apologize'. To improve, try to incorporate more natural collocations and idiomatic expressions suitable for an informal letter to a friend's parents, such as 'I am really looking forward to catching up' or 'I am terribly sorry to miss out'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'the childhood' (should be 'his childhood'), 'I need to attend him' (should be 'attend to them'), and 'I feel a apologize this inconvenience'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the sentence structure is often repetitive. To achieve a higher score, focus on improving your control over verb tenses and prepositions, and try to vary your sentence length and complexity to make your writing more engaging.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.