Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-04
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 doing well and i am writing this letter to inform you that i am not able to come there for Chris birthday party.
I know Chris will enjoy the surprise birthday party as he loves the surprises but i will not there to celebrate his birthday on his special day. Chris is always my close to heart and i am disappointing that i am not able to join his birthday party.
I wont be able to attend the party because my upcoming exams. This is my last semesters and i need to more focus on my exam so, for this reason i am not able to come there.
We will planning to meet after completing my exam at a different location and also i already buy gifts for him so, when we will meet I will give him the gifts. I know that he will very happy after seeing the gifts.
I hope you understand my feeling.
Lots of love,
P
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 task: explaining why Chris will enjoy the party, stating your inability to attend, and proposing an alternative plan to meet. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention your exams, you could have provided more detail about your study schedule to make the explanation more convincing. Additionally, the opening and closing are slightly informal for a letter addressed to 'Mr and Mrs Collins', though the overall purpose is clear and the task requirements are met.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, each focusing on a specific requirement of the prompt. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. For example, you use 'so' frequently to connect ideas, which makes the flow feel a bit simplistic. There are also some issues with referencing; for instance, in the second paragraph, 'Chris is always my close to heart' is grammatically awkward and disrupts the flow. Improving the variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'as a result') would help the text progress more smoothly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. You rely on basic phrasing, such as 'I hope you doing well' and 'I am disappointing'. There are also some errors in word choice, such as 'I need to more focus' instead of 'I need to focus more'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more natural collocations and less common vocabulary. For example, instead of saying 'I already buy gifts', you could use 'I have already purchased a gift'. The errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the sophistication of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, particularly with verb tenses and sentence structure. Examples include 'I hope you doing well' (missing auxiliary verb), 'I will not there' (missing verb), and 'We will planning' (incorrect tense). These errors are noticeable and occur in almost every sentence. While you attempt to use complex structures, they are often faulty. To improve, focus on basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that auxiliary verbs are used correctly in future and continuous tenses. A more careful proofreading of your work would help eliminate these slips.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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