Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-10-30
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 received your email that you are visiting next week and I am very excited to see you. I am writing this letter to tell you some of things as I have an important business meeting next week and I will reach home at 6 pm In the evening.
But you would not be alone at home, my husband means your brother in law will there for you. He will come to receive you from station so don’t worry about key and how to get into home. He has day off from office and childer would be there to welcome you.
Furthermore, as you demanded, I will prepare special veg biryani for you, and some sweets for your children. Next day, I am planing to go to golden temple and after that we will have your favourite street food.
I cannot wait to spend my next week with you.
Your lovely sister,
Raman
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0
The letter is appropriately addressed to your sister and gives a warm, relevant response. You explain that your husband will meet her at the station and help her enter the house, and you say you expect to arrive at 6 p.m. You also suggest dinner and an outing the next day. However, the arrangements for getting from the station to your house are not actually explained: saying your husband will collect her does not provide directions or an alternative if plans change. The evening activity is also unclear, since the biryani is mentioned but not explicitly presented as something you will do together that evening. Develop these details so each requested point is clearly and fully covered.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The information is arranged in a generally understandable order: you introduce the visit, explain who will be at home, and then describe food and plans. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore” help signal a shift, and the closing is suitable for a personal letter. Some connections are less clear, though. “But you would not be alone at home” does not clearly connect to the preceding information about your arrival time, and the paragraph about your husband combines the key arrangements, children, and station pickup without separating the points. The transition from the evening meal to “Next day” is understandable but abrupt. Grouping the arrival arrangements, directions, and evening plans more distinctly would make the progression smoother.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use an adequate range for a familiar personal letter, including relevant expressions such as “business meeting,” “receive you from station,” “special veg biryani,” and “street food.” These choices make the main situation understandable, and the friendly tone is appropriate. There are some inaccurate or unnatural choices that limit precision: “some of things” is awkward, “my husband means your brother in law” is unclear, and “as you demanded” sounds too forceful for a family letter. Spelling errors such as “childer” and “planing” also reduce accuracy. Choose more natural phrases and check spelling; for example, explain the relationship directly and say “as you requested” when referring to a preference.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The letter includes both simple sentences and attempts at more complex structures, such as “I am writing this letter to tell you…” and “as you demanded, I will prepare…”. The main message is usually understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. For example, “my husband … will there for you” is missing “be,” while “I am planing to go” uses an incorrect verb form. There are also problems with articles and sentence boundaries, as in “from station” and the run-on connection in “I received your email that you are visiting next week and I am very excited…”. Review verb forms, articles, and punctuation, and use complete, clearly separated sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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