Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-10-27

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 Sister,

I'm writing this letter to inform you that I will not at home by the day you are coming to me. My boss assigned me some extra assignments to do, so I have to go to the office to accomplish my target.

I am writing you in advance so that you cannot get in any trouble. As you are coming by train, once you will arrive at the airport, text me or call me and I will book a taxi for you so you can come home safely. I will put the keys in the mailbox of the house. It would be the easiet way to get the keys easly. I will make some food and place in the fridge. You can use the microvave placed on the shelf to heat the food and eat.

In the evening by 6:30pm, when I will return from job, we will visit the Clara Museum and do street walk together. Then we will go for dinner and will have ice cream. After that we will watch the movie on TV.

I hope this letter explains you everything in detail would be helpful for you to come home from work and get in the home.

Yours truly

Ramaz

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the main situation and include arrangements for the keys, travel from the station, your return time, and evening activities. However, the directions are not fully accurate: the relative arrives at a train station, but you write “once you will arrive at the airport,” and booking a taxi is less helpful than explaining how to reach the house. The key arrangement is stated, but “in the mailbox” leaves some uncertainty about how to find or retrieve them. The evening plan is relevant, though “Clara Museum” and the street walk are not explained. To make the response more complete, give clear station-to-house directions and precise instructions for accessing the keys, while keeping the friendly purpose of the letter clear.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable sequence: you explain your absence, give arrival and food arrangements, and then describe the evening plan. Paragraph breaks help separate these topics, and phrases such as “In the evening” signal a change in time. However, some connections are awkward or unclear, particularly “I am writing you in advance so that you cannot get in any trouble,” which does not clearly introduce the arrangements. The final sentence is also difficult to follow and repeats the idea of getting home. Improve progression by grouping the key and travel instructions together, then ending with a concise, natural closing. Use linking phrases to clarify relationships rather than adding them mechanically.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough everyday vocabulary to communicate the basic arrangements, including “keys,” “mailbox,” “fridge,” and “visit.” There are also attempts at more specific expressions, such as “accomplish my target” and “street walk,” but these combinations are not natural in this context. Spelling errors in “easiet,” “easly,” and “microvave” are noticeable, and “assignments” is not the most suitable word for extra work duties. These choices do not prevent the reader from understanding the general message, but they limit precision and naturalness. Build a stronger range of common letter-writing collocations and check spelling, especially for practical details the reader needs to follow.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, for example, “As you are coming by train, once you will arrive…” and “when I will return from job…”. However, these clauses contain faulty tense patterns: use “when you arrive” and “when I return,” rather than “once you will arrive” and “when I will return.” Other errors include “I will not at home” (missing “be”), “I am writing you” (missing “to”), and “I will make some food and place in the fridge” (the object needs to be stated again or clearly linked). The meaning is generally recoverable, but these recurring errors reduce control. Practise accurate time clauses and check articles, prepositions, and complete verb phrases.

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

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