Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-10-26

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 4.5)

Dear Famia,

I hope you are doing splendidly! its has been a long time since we caught up with each other. I received your letter in which you mentioned that you are coming to stay with me. Actually, I want to inform you that you will be arriving by train in the morning but I won't be home until the evening. So, I have made some arrangements for you

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 2.5

The opening establishes a friendly purpose and acknowledges the visit, but the response stops before giving any of the requested practical information. It does not explain how your relative will get a key or enter the house, give directions from the station, or say when you will arrive home and what you could do together. The response is also substantially below the required minimum: it contains 60 words, 90 short of 150, with the nine words copied from the prompt excluded. As a result, the task is addressed only minimally, and the reader cannot make the necessary arrangements. Complete each bullet point with specific details and develop the letter to the required length.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

The greeting and opening sentences form a recognisable start to a personal letter, and the ideas follow a basic sequence: greeting, reference to the visit, then your absence during the day. However, the response ends just as it introduces the arrangements, so there is no progression through the key, directions, and evening plans. The final phrase, “So, I have made some arrangements for you,” promises information that never follows. Use separate paragraphs for access, travel directions, and evening plans, and connect them with clear transitions. This would give the letter a complete, easy-to-follow structure rather than leaving its central information unfinished.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally understandable and includes some expressive choices, such as “doing splendidly” and “caught up with each other,” which help establish a warm, informal tone. The wording is nevertheless limited because the response ends before it describes the practical arrangements, so it cannot demonstrate vocabulary for directions, keys, or evening activities. There are also a few awkward or inaccurate choices: “its has” is not the intended form, and “I received your letter in which you mentioned” is rather formal and cumbersome for this friendly note. Prefer natural, precise phrases such as “I’m glad you’re coming to stay” and “I’ve arranged for you to collect a key.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response uses a mixture of simple and more developed sentence forms. For example, “I received your letter in which you mentioned that you are coming to stay with me” combines a main clause with a relative clause, and the meaning is mostly clear. However, there are noticeable errors in basic sentence construction and punctuation. “its has been a long time” should be “It has been a long time,” and the final sentence ends with “for you” without completing the thought. The long sentence beginning “Actually” would also be clearer if divided or punctuated more carefully. Check sentence completeness, capitalisation, and apostrophes, then use a few accurate complex sentences to explain the arrangements.

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

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