Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-19
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 hope you are doing well. I am really thankful to you for inviting me to a surprise birthday party of friend that will held after 2 week.
According to me Chris will enjoy the surprise party because he like the surprise party and gift. On his birthday you can create theme and tell everyone to follow the theme to make party more interesting.
I am very excited for the party but sadly I would not able to attend the event. Because I have exam on the next 2 weeks.
I am promise you that I will diffinetly come after finishing the exams and give him a surprise visit. I hope you will understand my situation and forgive me for now. I am looking forward for your rely
Your Faithfully,
Jass.
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: explaining why Chris will enjoy the party, stating your inability to attend, and proposing an alternative meeting. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of your ideas. For example, the explanation regarding why Chris would enjoy the party is quite brief and could have been expanded with more descriptive language. Additionally, the tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, though it lacks some of the conventional polish expected in a formal or semi-formal letter.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and sometimes mechanical. For instance, the transition between the explanation of the party and your inability to attend is abrupt. You rely heavily on simple sentence structures, which makes the flow feel a bit disjointed. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and phrases, such as 'consequently,' 'furthermore,' or 'in addition to this,' to connect your ideas more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message, but it is somewhat basic and repetitive. There are also some noticeable errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'rely' instead of 'reply' and 'diffinetly' instead of 'definitely.' Phrases like 'According to me' are not natural in this context; 'I believe' or 'In my opinion' would be more appropriate. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise vocabulary and ensure that your spelling is accurate, as these errors occasionally distract the reader.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
You use a mix of simple sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that impede the flow. For example, 'that will held after 2 week' should be 'that will be held in two weeks,' and 'I have exam on the next 2 weeks' should be 'I have exams in the next two weeks.' Additionally, there are issues with verb tense consistency and article usage. While your meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors suggests a need for more careful proofreading and a focus on mastering basic sentence construction.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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