Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-01
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,
Hello, i Hope you are doing well and i am writing to you this letter to informed you that i have received invitation for chris surprise birthday party but i am not be able to coming for a birthday party.
Chris is my best friend and also i would love to come for his/her birthday but the reason is that my upcoming exams. This is my last semester and the final exam is stats in few days so i wont be able to come. I know this surprise party is very meant for you and as well as for chris. I feel sad that i am not able to come there and celebrate chris birthday party. But will soon i will plan and come there as soon as possible.
After completed my exam i will planning to visit your home and we will meet and spend some time together and also we will plan for an outing for 2-3 days.
I hope you can understand my feelings.
Your Sincerely,
PV
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt: explaining why Chris would enjoy the party, stating why you cannot attend, and proposing an alternative meeting. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, you mention that the party is 'very meant for' Chris, but you could have elaborated more on his personality or interests to make the letter more personal. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, though the expression is occasionally slightly awkward. To improve, ensure that each point is fully expanded with more descriptive language.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. For example, you use 'and also' frequently to connect ideas, which makes the flow feel a bit simplistic. There are also some issues with referencing, such as the unclear use of 'there' when referring to the party or the parents' home. Improving the variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'however') would help the text progress more naturally.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward word choice, such as 'informed you that i have received invitation' (should be 'to inform you that I have received an invitation') and 'this surprise party is very meant for you'. You rely on basic vocabulary and struggle with collocations. To improve, focus on learning common phrases used in formal or semi-formal correspondence and pay closer attention to word forms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, including issues with verb tenses ('the final exam is stats in few days'), subject-verb agreement, and missing articles ('received invitation'). Sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at more complex sentences often contain errors, such as 'i am not be able to coming'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable and affect the overall fluency of your writing. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for verb forms would be highly beneficial.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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