Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-02
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/ Madam,
I am writing to express my gratitude for your kind invitation to Chris Birthday party.
Unfortunatly, I will not be able to attend the party.
I am sure Chris will be super happy with the surprise. The idea of the fire show is genuine, and the ornenments that matches his classic taste is also phantastic.Moreover, inviting his old friends and mates in the sports club will bring a lot of souvenirs.
As I already mention, I am sorry for not being able to be come and share the birthday cake. An unexpected meeting at work for my new project will be held on the exact moment. As a result, I am afraid it would be impossible to arrive on time.
I would suggest to organize an other party when I will be free to celebrate the occassion.A smaller one with the family and closer friends in the beach. We are going to enjoy quality time and chill together.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Sabri
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
You successfully address all parts of the prompt, satisfying the bullet points. You begin by acknowledging the invitation and properly using the provided name in your opening paragraph. You explain why Chris will enjoy the surprise by mentioning the fire show and ornaments, and you give a clear reason for your absence due to an unexpected work meeting. Finally, you propose an alternative plan to see him at the beach. However, some ideas are more fully developed than others; for instance, the explanation of why Chris will enjoy the party touches on several points briefly without fully expanding on them. Extending these ideas with a bit more detail would elevate your task response further.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
Your letter has a coherent overall arrangement with a clear paragraph structure, starting with an introduction and moving logically through the required bullet points. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty. For example, referencing is not always clear, such as in the sentence starting with 'As I already mention,' where the tense is inaccurate. Additionally, transitional phrases like 'Moreover' are used, but overall the progression between sentences can feel a bit disjointed. To achieve a higher band, you should ensure that cohesive devices are used more smoothly and that referencing links ideas together seamlessly without disrupting the flow of the letter.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common words and phrases such as 'genuine', 'phantastic', and 'surprise birthday party'. However, there are notable spelling and word-choice errors that prevent a higher score, including 'Unfortunatly', 'ornenments', and the use of 'souvenirs' instead of 'memories'. Furthermore, you made an error in the salutation by addressing the letter to 'Sir/ Madam' rather than the provided name 'Mr and Mrs Collins'. To improve your lexical score, you need to use a wider range of precise vocabulary with greater accuracy in spelling and collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over your sentence structures. For instance, you successfully construct conditional and explanatory clauses. However, there are some errors in grammar and punctuation that appear throughout the text, such as tense consistency issues ('As I already mention'), preposition errors ('in the beach' instead of 'at the beach'), and spacing errors around punctuation marks. These errors rarely impede communication, placing your grammar firmly at this level. To reach a higher band, you need to produce a higher proportion of error-free sentences and demonstrate more consistent control over complex grammatical structures.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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