Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-07

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 Collins,

Hi! I hop you are doing well. After long time I am writing this letter. That is good idea to give this surprise party to Chris. He likes surprise.

When we were In school I remembered that Chris like parties. He likes to celebrate his birthday. In fact, One day he told me my birthday is very crucial for me. On my birthday I would like to some one give me surprise party. And I would like to celebrate my birthday with my parents and friends. So, This party could give him more happiness.

Moreover, This time I have holiday on my work place So, that good things I can join this party with you. and I really miss you so much and I keen to meet you.

Well, I have one idea. You tell him I will coming at Australia but 2 days after his birthday. It could be more surprise for him.

See you soon.

Lots of love.

KishanTrivedi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You explained why Chris would enjoy the party, provided a reason for your absence, and suggested an alternative plan to meet him. However, the explanation for why you cannot attend is contradictory; you state you have a holiday at your workplace, which usually implies you are free, yet you imply you cannot attend. Furthermore, the plan to see him is slightly confusing as you suggest telling him you are coming to Australia, which may not be a practical alternative to attending the party. To improve, ensure your reasons are logically consistent and clearly articulated.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as the abrupt transition 'Moreover, This time I have holiday'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly in the final paragraph where the plan is introduced. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'however') and ensure that each paragraph flows logically into the next without abrupt shifts in topic.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite limited and repetitive. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'good idea' and 'like'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'my birthday is very crucial for me' and 'I keen to meet you'. To improve, try to incorporate more natural collocations and a wider variety of descriptive adjectives and verbs. For example, instead of saying 'give him more happiness', you could use 'make his day truly memorable'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('Chris like parties'), articles ('I have holiday on my work place'), and sentence structure ('That is good idea'). While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are noticeable and occur across a range of simple sentences. You should focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically the use of articles, verb tenses, and prepositions. Attempting more complex sentence structures while ensuring accuracy would also help improve your score.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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