Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-10-06

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 4.0)

Dear Sam,

I am very excited to see you today after long time but unfortunately I will be not at home as I have appointment with the doctor in the morning and then I have to go to work as I did not get day off today.

Apart from this, I have

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 2.5

The opening establishes the purpose of the letter and gives a relevant explanation for your absence: you mention a doctor’s appointment and work. However, the response stops before addressing the main practical requirements. It gives no arrangement for obtaining keys or entering the house, no directions from the station, and no time you expect to return or suggestion for the evening. The unfinished phrase “Apart from this, I have” also leaves the reader without the promised information. The response is substantially below the required 150 words, which limits how much of the task is covered. To improve, complete each bullet point with clear, specific details and finish with an appropriate closing.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.5

The greeting and opening sentence make the intended letter format clear, and “but unfortunately” connects your excitement about the visit with the reason you will be absent. This provides a basic starting point for the message. However, there is no progression beyond the opening: “Apart from this, I have” is an incomplete transition, and the letter ends without developing or organising the arrangements. As a result, the reader cannot follow a sequence from arrival, to entering the house, to your plans for the evening. Use separate, logically ordered paragraphs for these points, and connect them with simple references such as “When you arrive” and “I should be home by…” before adding a closing.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use a small set of relevant expressions to communicate the situation, including “very excited to see you,” “appointment with the doctor,” and “day off.” These make the general context understandable. However, the vocabulary range is limited because the response contains little beyond the opening explanation, and the key topics of access, directions, and evening plans are not described. Some phrasing is also not fully natural: “after long time” would be more idiomatic as “after such a long time,” while “get day off” needs a more natural expression such as “get the day off.” Build a wider set of practical phrases for giving directions and explaining where a key is, and check common collocations when revising.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response includes a compound sentence with a subordinate clause: “I am very excited to see you today … but unfortunately I will be not at home as…” This shows an attempt to link related ideas, and the main message is generally understandable. However, the range is narrow, with most information packed into one sentence, and several grammatical forms need correction. In “I will be not at home,” the usual word order is “I will not be at home”; “after long time” needs an article or determiner, and “I have appointment” needs “an appointment.” The final fragment, “Apart from this, I have,” is incomplete. Practise accurate articles and future forms, and use complete sentences to express each arrangement.

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