Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-19
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 Sir, Hope you are doing well. I am so glad that you invited me in Chris bithday party. I am impressed by the idea of surprise. I think Chris will be shocked and amazed by this surprise. He will definetly enjoy the party. He has been living in Austrailie for three years . He was alone there. He didnot celebrate his birthdays. He willl be very cherished by your surprise. Unfortunately , I won't be able to attend the party. Because i have to go other city for my international meeting. This meeting is very important for my company. I tried to postpone but i could'nt. Furthermore , I planned that i will come at your house the next weekend to meet Chris. I am so excited to see him . Kindly tell me you avaibility at the weekend . i look forward to response. Thank . Yours Sincerely, Sam
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The student has successfully covered all parts of the prompt. First, the salutation is incorrect according to the prompt (the prompt explicitly states to begin with 'Dear Mr and Mrs Collins', but the student wrote 'Dear Sir'), though this is a minor deviation. The student addresses why Chris will enjoy the party, explaining that he has been living alone in Australia for three years without celebrating birthdays. The reason for not attending is clearly stated (an important international meeting in another city), and a feasible plan to visit the next weekend is provided. All three bullet points are adequately covered and extended, earning a solid Band 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter lacks appropriate paragraphing; it uses excessive line breaks and single-sentence paragraphs rather than coherent blocks of text. Cohesive devices are somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., starting consecutive sentences with 'I'). However, the overall progression is clear, and the reader can easily follow the sequence of ideas from the party invitation to the absence and the alternative plan. The referencing is generally clear despite minor mechanical issues in transitions. This reflects the criteria for Band 5.5 to 6.0, and a Band 6.0 is appropriate given the logical flow despite the formatting flaws.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with some attempts at less common items such as 'impressed', 'definitely', and 'cherished'. There are several spelling mistakes ('bithday', 'Austrailie', 'didnot', 'avaibility') and minor word choice issues (e.g., 'tell me you avaibility' instead of 'let me know your availability'). Despite these errors, communication is not impeded, and the meaning is fully clear. The range is sufficient to express ideas about the surprise party and business commitments, fitting the Band 6.0 descriptor well.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I think Chris will be shocked and amazed by this surprise' and 'Because i have to go other city for my international meeting'. There are several grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the text, including sentence fragments ('Because i have to go...'), capitalization errors ('i'), punctuation spacing issues, and double-subject/verb confusions ('i could'nt', 'i will come'). However, these errors rarely impede overall communication, and the basic meaning is successfully conveyed. This performance aligns closely with Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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