Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-13
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)
Task-1
Dear Mr. and Mrs Collins,
I hope you are doing well. I recently received your invitation for Chris's birthday party.
It is really a fanatastic idea to throw a surprise party to Chris on his birthday as he is very fond of surprises. Moreover, calling his friends and batchmates on party will make him more happy.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to come as my mother is not well and we have appointment with doctor same day.
Therefore, I decided to visit your house next week. I hope you will understand my circumstances and wish him on his birthday from my side.
Kind regards,
Navneet.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The letter covers all three bullet points: explaining why Chris will enjoy the party, stating why you cannot attend, and proposing an alternative meeting time. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which severely limits the development of your ideas. To achieve a higher band, you need to expand on your points. For example, instead of simply saying Chris is 'fond of surprises,' you could describe a past experience or explain why he values time with friends. The current brevity makes the response feel like a list of points rather than a well-developed letter.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is logically organized with a clear opening and closing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Moreover,' 'Unfortunately,' and 'Therefore' to link your ideas. However, the paragraphing is insufficient; the entire body of the letter is compressed into one block. To improve, you should use separate paragraphs for each of the three bullet points requested in the prompt. This would improve the visual structure and flow of your writing, making it easier for the reader to follow your train of thought.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and sophistication. You use simple phrases like 'not well' and 'make him more happy.' There is also a spelling error ('fanatastic'). To improve, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to social events and personal circumstances. For instance, instead of 'not well,' you could use 'unwell' or 'suffering from a health issue.' Expanding your range of collocations will help you convey your message with more nuance and naturalness, which is essential for higher band scores.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentences. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies. For example, 'throw a surprise party to Chris' should be 'throw a surprise party for Chris,' and 'calling his friends... on party' should be 'at the party.' Additionally, 'we have appointment with doctor' is missing articles ('an appointment with the doctor'). You should focus on article usage and prepositional phrases to improve your accuracy. Increasing the variety of your sentence structures will also help demonstrate better control over complex grammar.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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