Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

A family member is coming to stay with you. He/she will be arriving by train in the morning, but you won’t be home until the evening.

• explain arrangements you have made for them to have keys and get into the house

• tell your relative how to get from the train station to your house

• say when you will be home and suggest what you could do together that evening

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Hello John, good day. I am so sorry, but I just want you to know that I'm not home tomorrow morning since I have an important meeting to attend for my upcoming event next week. Don't you worry my dear since I already informed my landlord everything about you and she is around the whole day tomorrow. She will be the one to provide you with the key in order for you to enter to my flat and ahve your thing arrange and have you relax while I'm not around.

And I just want you to know that I already booked a taxi for your convenient and kindly call this number: [redacted phone] once you already in the airport so that the driver will help you with your laguage. Once you already in the train station, you can but a ticket to the ticket booth and ask them that you will catch up the train to Bacolod 10:30AM and I'm just a minute away from the train station here in Bacolod.

I know that you're tired, so can just take a nap while I'm away and once I;m home we will go together to the supermarket to buy your basic needs around 6:30 in the evening.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the three main points: your landlord will provide a key, you give travel information, and you say you expect to be home around 6:30 and suggest going to the supermarket. These details make the message relevant and generally understandable. However, the arrival arrangements are not fully clear: you first say you booked a taxi, then tell John to take a train to Bacolod, without explaining how these options fit together. The route from the station to your flat is also vague; “a minute away” does not identify how to reach the house. Develop the directions and clarify the transport plan, while keeping the friendly tone and adding a more specific evening suggestion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The message follows a broadly sensible order: it explains the key arrangement, moves to travel, and ends with your return and evening plans. Paragraph breaks help separate these topics, and phrases such as “And I just want you to know” and “once I’m home” signal connections between ideas. However, the travel paragraph is difficult to follow because the taxi booking, airport phone call, and train to Bacolod are presented without a clear sequence. Some linking phrases are repetitive, and the long opening paragraph combines several arrangements in one sentence. Use clearer sequencing—such as first, then, and finally—and separate the key information from the directions to make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough everyday vocabulary to communicate the main arrangements, including “landlord,” “provide you with the key,” “ticket booth,” and “basic needs.” The friendly, informal wording is suitable for a message to a relative. However, several choices and collocations are inaccurate or unclear, such as “for your convenient,” “have your thing arrange,” and “catch up the train.” There are also spelling errors, including “ahve” and “laguage,” which reduce the impression of control. Aim for more precise, natural phrases for travel and accommodation, and proofread spelling. For example, “for your convenience,” “settle in,” and “catch the 10:30 train” would express your meaning more clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, using clauses such as “since I have an important meeting” and “once I’m home,” so there is some variety. The main message can usually be understood, but errors in sentence structure and grammatical forms are frequent enough to make parts awkward or unclear. For example, “I already informed my landlord everything” needs a different structure, and “once you already in the train station” is missing a verb. The opening also shifts between “I’m not home” and “tomorrow morning” in a way that could be expressed more clearly. Practise complete clause patterns, articles, and verb forms, and break long sentences into shorter, accurate ones.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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