Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-29

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)

I am writing this letter to you about the surprise party which you organize for chris on the 7 of november on his birthday. Yesterday i talked to him about the plans for birthday and he said to me like nothing special and he just go to relious place for praying and for sure i will enjoy this party but looking at your efforts to arrange everthing and invite his near and dear ones.

Unfortunitely, i am not able to attent this party because same day i have my brother birthday and he will come from army. Eventhough, all family member want to give him surprise to go all family members go somewhere. That's my family event it also important for me to present there.

I will meet chris after his birthday on 8th of november in restaurent i will apologize that i couldn't attent the party. I am deciding to bring one small cake along with preious gift for him to feel him special in my life.Hopefully, you will understand my sitution.

Best regards,

Gurjinder kaur.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you explain that Chris may enjoy the effort and company of loved ones, give a clear reason for missing the party, and suggest meeting on 8 November with a cake and gift. The explanation of his likely enjoyment is less fully developed: “he said to me like nothing special” is unclear, and the link between this comment and why he would enjoy a surprise could be made more explicit. Your reason for being absent is relevant, though the family plan could be stated more directly. To strengthen the letter, explain more clearly what Chris enjoys about surprises or spending time with family, and make the proposed meeting arrangements precise, such as suggesting a time and asking whether it suits his parents.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: the first paragraph discusses the party, the second explains your absence, and the third proposes another meeting. This paragraphing helps the reader follow the main points, and transitions such as “Unfortunately” and “I will meet Chris after his birthday” signal changes in purpose. The progression is generally logical, but some sentences combine several ideas without clear links, particularly the opening paragraph and the explanation of your family event. The final paragraph also moves quickly from the meeting plan to the apology and gift. Use shorter, more clearly connected sentences and refer consistently to the people and events so that the relationships between ideas are easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main message, including “surprise party,” “family event,” “apologize,” and “special.” However, the range is limited and several spelling or word-choice errors make parts less clear, such as “relious place,” “attent,” “restaurent,” and “preious gift.” Some phrases are also unnatural, including “near and dear ones” and “to feel him special in my life.” Choose more natural expressions and check spelling carefully. For example, you could say that Chris would appreciate seeing “close friends and family,” and that you want to make him “feel special.” More precise vocabulary for the proposed meeting would also make the letter sound more fluent and appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the reader can generally understand your main points. Some grammatical errors remain, especially in verb forms, articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries. For example, “he just go” should be “he just goes,” while “all family member want” needs a plural form and an article or possessive. The opening sentence also lacks a clear grammatical structure, and the final paragraph joins several complete ideas with commas. Use a wider mix of accurately controlled sentences: for instance, separate the meeting plan from the apology, and check subject–verb agreement and tense consistency. These changes would make your meaning clearer without requiring more complicated structures.

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