Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-21
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 5.0)
Dear uncle,
I hope you are doing well. I am glad that you invited me for Chris birthday party.
Explain forward, as you think that i should come for cgris birthday party that is on next 26 january. But sorry to say that i cannot join you because we have fixed my sister marriage next month and my father gave me few responsibilities to get done during the marriage.
However, I am planning to visit Australia in mid of september as its my Business meeting that will lasts for two days and i am planning to stay there for a whole week as searched some wonderfull places to visit there, in the meantime i want spend some time with chris so i was thinking to invite him if he can join me we will have a lot fun.
I anticipate that you will understand my situation.
your lovely
dhillonz boy.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The letter partially addresses all bullet points, though the treatment is uneven and some required elements are missing. You correctly mentioned why you cannot attend by explaining that 'we have fixed my sister marriage next month and my father gave me few responsibilities'. You also provided details about seeing Chris in September during your business trip. However, you failed to adequately address the first bullet point: saying why you think Chris will enjoy the surprise party. Instead of explaining why he would like it, you wrote 'as you think that i should come for cgris birthday party'. Furthermore, the salutation 'Dear uncle' is inappropriate for addressing Mr and Mrs Collins. To achieve a higher band, all parts of the prompt must be fully developed and covered.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The letter shows an attempt at organization with paragraph breaks, but the overall progression is hampered by weak cohesive devices and referencing issues. The transition 'Explain forward, as you think that i should come...' is awkward and does not function properly as a cohesive link. Pronoun referencing is occasionally unclear, such as shifting between addressing Mr and Mrs Collins and referring to 'uncle'. Paragraphing is used, but the internal logical flow within paragraphs is disjointed, particularly in the long second paragraph which runs multiple ideas together without sufficient punctuation or linking words. Better control of cohesive devices and clearer paragraph structuring are needed to improve the flow of the letter.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is basic and repetitive, representing a limited range adequate only for familiar tasks. Words and phrases such as 'fixed my sister marriage', 'get done', and 'have a lot fun' show restricted control and unnatural collocation. There are also spelling and word-form errors, such as 'cgris' instead of Chris, 'wonderfull' with a double 'l', and 'lasts' instead of last. Less common lexical items are attempted with significant inaccuracy. To reach a higher band, you need to incorporate a wider variety of natural phrases, ensure correct spelling, and use vocabulary that is appropriate for a semi-formal social letter.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The writing contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical accuracy is weak throughout. There are frequent errors in verb tense, preposition use, and sentence construction. Examples include 'invited me for Chris birthday party' instead of 'to', 'we have fixed my sister marriage' instead of 'my sister's wedding has been fixed', and 'as its my Business meeting that will lasts'. Punctuation is also problematic, notably the run-on sentences in the second paragraph that lack proper terminal punctuation or conjunctions. While these errors do not completely prevent the reader from understanding the main message, their frequency places this response firmly in the Band 5 category.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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