Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-17
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
Thank you very much for inviting me to chris's surprise birthday party .i am sure chris's will really enjoy the party because he loves spending time with friends and family A surprise celebration will make his birthday very special and memorable i am also sure he will be happy to see everyone together
unfortunately i will not able to attend the party because i have an important examination at my university on the same day i need to attend the exam and also prepare for it so i cannot travel to the party. i am really sorry that i will miss this special occasion
However i would like to meet chris at a different time. i am planning to visit him the following weekend we can go to a restaurant for lunch and then spend some time together i will also bring him a small birthday gift for my friend
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response successfully covers all three bullet points required by the task. You clearly stated why Chris will enjoy the surprise party, explaining that he loves spending time with friends and family. You also explained your inability to attend due to a university examination on the same day, and you provided clear details of a plan to see him the following weekend at a restaurant for lunch. All parts of the prompt are addressed well, and the tone is appropriately polite and friendly for a letter to friends of a peer. However, the development of ideas is slightly straightforward and could be extended further for a higher band. Overall, this meets the requirements well.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The letter is divided into three logical paragraphs that correspond to the three bullet points in the prompt, creating a coherent overall arrangement. However, the Coherence and Cohesion is significantly impacted by the complete lack of capitalization and punctuation throughout the text. Sentences run together or start without capital letters (e.g., 'i am sure chris's will really enjoy...'), which makes the mechanical layout faulty. While cohesive devices like 'unfortunately' and 'however' are used to signal shifts, the absence of standard punctuation and capitalization prevents the text from achieving a higher band.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your message clearly. You used appropriate everyday phrases such as 'surprise birthday party', 'important examination', and 'small birthday gift'. However, the vocabulary range is quite basic and repetitive. There are also lexical errors such as 'chris's' instead of 'Chris' and 'for my friend' instead of 'for him'. Attempts at less common lexical items are largely absent, restricting the score to a solid Band 5.5 for this criterion.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
You successfully used a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I am sure Chris will really enjoy the party because he loves spending time with friends and family.' This demonstrates an attempt at subordination. Unfortunately, the grammatical accuracy is severely undermined by a complete disregard for capitalization and basic punctuation. Nearly all sentences begin with lowercase letters, and periods are missing at the end of sentences. Furthermore, there are punctuation errors like 'chris's' (possessive form error) and minor structural slips. These frequent mechanical errors pull the grammar score down.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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