Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
Dear Mark,
I hope you are in good spritis.
I am very pleased to know that finally you are coming to stay with me.
Unforntunately, I will not be able to receive you at the station on your arrival, because I am going to visit my uncle who is admitted to the hosiptal but I will be back by the evening.
When you will arrive at station, Rehan, my cousin, will meet you there. I have shared your cell phone number. He has my house key so he will pick you up from the station and let you in the home. You can open the door and have rest until I come back.
Surprisingly, in the eveing, there is foor festival in the cit. I got two tickets for us. We will go there and have our dinner with my other friends.
See you soon, Love to mom and Dad!
With love,
Manny
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5
The letter is appropriately addressed to Mark and covers the key situation: Rehan will meet him, has the house key, and you expect to return in the evening. You also suggest a shared evening activity by mentioning the festival and dinner with friends. However, the station-to-house directions are not really provided; saying Rehan will pick him up does not explain how to reach the house if plans change. The arrangements for entering are also somewhat unclear, since Rehan is said to let Mark in, followed by “You can open the door.” The reason you cannot meet him is included, but the main task points need clearer, more complete explanation and development.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The information follows a generally sensible order: you explain why you will be absent, describe the arrival arrangements, and then introduce the evening plan. The greeting and closing also suit a personal letter. Connections such as “because,” “When,” and “Surprisingly” help link ideas, although the sequence around the key is confusing: Rehan will let Mark in, but Mark is then told to open the door himself. The letter is presented as one continuous block, so separating the arrival arrangements from the evening plans would make it easier to follow. More precise linking and clearer references to who is doing each action would strengthen the progression.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use a suitable range of familiar language for a friendly letter, including “receive you at the station,” “shared your cell phone number,” and “have our dinner with my other friends.” The tone is generally warm and appropriate. However, several spelling errors—“spritis,” “Unforntunately,” “hosiptal,” “eveing,” and “cit”—are noticeable, and “foor festival” appears to be an inaccurate word choice. Some expressions are also less natural, such as “admitted to the hospital” in this context and “have rest.” These issues do not prevent the reader from understanding the main message, but more accurate spelling and natural collocations would make the letter clearer and more fluent.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The letter includes both simple sentences and attempts at longer structures, for example, “I will not be able to receive you at the station … because I am going to visit my uncle.” Most of the message remains understandable. There are, however, some errors in verb forms and sentence patterns. “When you will arrive at station” should use the present simple in the time clause (“When you arrive at the station”), and “I will be back by the evening” would be more naturally expressed as “in the evening.” Articles are also missing in “at station” and “in the home.” The sentence “He has my house key so he will pick you up …” would benefit from clearer punctuation or a conjunction. Greater control of these patterns would improve accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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