Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-08-07
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)
Hi, auntie I’m really sorry I just had an urgent meeting so I have to go and my office is 1 hour away from my house. Might be I’ll come late tonight at home but text me when you are arrived on the station. You can take 20 number bus and that will drop you to bus stop 9 and out stop is 8 so there you have to just walk for 5 minutes it’s straight way to our house and on the left you can see white color house which number is 673 on the Glanford street. I put the keys under the flower pot you can open the door and I already prepared the food and some tea and coffee for you. So you can warm it in microwave. Moreover, when you wanna to refresh I also ready the shower for you can keep everything over the room so you can enjoy. After I came home we will do gossip and watch movies together. I hope you do not feel bored at home, please text me if you need anything,
Your child
Hardeep
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 have addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You explained the key arrangements, provided directions from the station, and mentioned your arrival time along with a suggestion for the evening. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. For example, the directions are a bit confusing and lack clarity regarding the specific bus route or stop names. While the tone is appropriate for a family member, the response would benefit from more detailed and coherent explanations to fully satisfy the requirements of a higher band. Overall, the task is completed, but the clarity of the information provided could be improved.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is written as a single block of text, which makes it difficult to follow. In IELTS writing, using clear paragraphing is essential for logical progression. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'After', the flow between sentences is often disjointed. The transition from the directions to the house arrangements and then to the evening plans feels abrupt. To improve, you should organize your ideas into distinct paragraphs: one for the keys/arrival, one for the directions, and one for the evening plans. This would significantly enhance the readability and logical structure of your letter.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your message, but there are several instances of awkward phrasing and incorrect word choices. For example, 'do gossip' is not a natural collocation; 'have a chat' or 'catch up' would be more appropriate. Similarly, 'I also ready the shower' should be 'I have prepared the shower' or 'I have made the shower ready'. While your meaning is generally clear, the lack of precision in word choice and some repetitive language limit your score. Expanding your vocabulary to include more natural collocations would help you achieve a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
Your writing contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Common issues include tense inconsistencies ('when you are arrived' instead of 'when you arrive'), missing articles ('on the station' instead of 'at the station'), and awkward sentence construction ('Might be I’ll come late'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and run-on sentences. While the errors do not completely prevent understanding, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.