Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-21
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,
I am writing about the apology i can not attend his birthday party because of my health issues. I suffer from cough and fever on that time. So I could not reach there that is why i feel sorry. However, I think he enjoy a lot his birthday party because he has no idea how he celebrate own birthday when he see arrangement of birthday party that time he feel very happy. Because he loves surprises. As he get an opportunity to meet our friends on that days and he can do alot of activities with them.
I know I miss the gold opportunity to attend his birthday party that is why he would angry with me but i can not attend due to my health. Moreover, i will make a plan for him to arrange surprise dinner for him in five star hotels where we meet with each other.
Your lovely,
Gagan
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: explaining why Chris will enjoy the party, stating your inability to attend, and proposing an alternative meeting. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation regarding why Chris will enjoy the party is repetitive and lacks specific detail. Additionally, the tone is inconsistent; while you are writing to parents, the language used is quite informal and lacks the appropriate social register for a letter to Mr and Mrs Collins. To improve, ensure you expand on your ideas with more descriptive language and maintain a polite, formal tone throughout the correspondence.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the flow of ideas is often disjointed due to the limited use of cohesive devices. Transitions between sentences are sometimes abrupt, such as the jump from discussing your illness to the party arrangements. The use of linking words like 'However' and 'Moreover' is present but often used incorrectly or in a way that does not logically connect the preceding thought to the next. Improving the variety of your linking phrases and ensuring that each paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed idea will significantly enhance the readability of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
Your vocabulary is generally functional but quite basic. You rely on simple, repetitive phrasing, such as 'I am writing about the apology' and 'he feel very happy'. There are also several errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'reach there' instead of 'make it' or 'attend', and 'gold opportunity' instead of 'great opportunity'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use a wider range of vocabulary that is appropriate for a formal letter, avoiding colloquialisms and focusing on more precise expressions to convey your meaning clearly.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede communication. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('he enjoy', 'he would angry'), tense inconsistencies ('I suffer from cough... on that time'), and missing articles or prepositions. Sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at more complex sentences often result in errors, such as 'when he see arrangement of birthday party that time he feel very happy'. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, particularly subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage, before attempting more complex grammatical structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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