Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-10-13

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 5.0)

Hey Sandy,

I hope you are doing great. I'm very excited that you are coming home for vacations. Also, be on time at the station to get your train and be aware about your surroundings. I just wants to tell you that I'm stuck in a urgent meeting at office so i'll not be able to pick you up during that time. I'll be join you later in the evening.

My uncle will be there prior your time to get you in to house. He is wearing blue shirt with black pants in case he doesn't recognise you. He will be coming by car so be relaxed.

Once you reached home, you will finds the keys in one of the flower pot near the porch area. When you enter the house, freshen up yourself and have your breakfast that I made already in the morning.

Although, after finishing my assignments and meetings, will come home. Then, I have booked a movie tickets for us to enjoy night and spend some quality time with each other.

I can't wait to see you.

With love,

Manpreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The letter is friendly and includes relevant information about your uncle meeting Sandy, the flower-pot key, and a movie plan. However, the task’s practical arrangements are not explained clearly enough, which is why the response only minimally fulfils the main purpose. Saying your uncle will “get you in to house” conflicts with the later instruction to find the keys in a flower pot, so it is unclear who will let Sandy in or when. The route from the station to your house is not provided at all, and “be on time at the station” does not help with that. You also do not give a specific time for your return. State the entry plan consistently, add clear directions, and specify when you will arrive home.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The information is divided into paragraphs and generally follows a sensible order: arrival, access to the house, and evening plans. The greeting and closing also suit an informal letter. However, the progression is weakened by unclear or conflicting details: your uncle is said to meet Sandy and let them in, but then Sandy is told to retrieve a key from a flower pot. Some linking phrases, such as “Although, after finishing my assignments and meetings,” do not connect the ideas correctly, and “Also” introduces a warning that does not fit smoothly with the arrangements. Make each paragraph serve one clear purpose and use links that show the relationship between ideas accurately.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of everyday expressions appropriate to a personal letter, including “freshen up,” “quality time,” and “I can’t wait to see you.” The meaning is usually understandable, but several word choices and collocations are unnatural or imprecise, limiting the range and control. For example, “coming home for vacations” is not the natural phrase for visiting someone, and “get you in to house” is awkward. “Be aware about your surroundings” also uses an unsuitable preposition. Choose more precise expressions for travel and access arrangements, and check common word partnerships. More accurate phrasing would make the practical instructions easier to follow and the friendly tone more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The letter includes both simple sentences and attempts at longer structures, such as “Once you reached home…” and “Although, after finishing my assignments and meetings…”. However, these longer constructions are often faulty, and errors occur frequently in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence structure. Examples include “I just wants,” “I’ll be join,” and “you will finds”; the final sentence beginning “Although” also lacks a clear main clause. These errors sometimes make the arrangements difficult to interpret, although the general message remains understandable. Practise accurate present and future forms, subject–verb agreement, and complete clauses before adding more complex structures. Proofreading for capitalisation and sentence boundaries would also improve control.

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