Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-09

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

It is ten years since you left college. You'd like to organise an event to celebrate this anniversary with all your friends and classmates from college.

Write a letter to one of your college friends. In your letter

• say what kind of celebration event you'd like to organise

• explain why you think it would be good to celebrate in this way

• describe what help you need to organise this event

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ....................................,

Student answer (Band 4.0)

Dear Jai,

I hope you are fine. Its hard to believe that ten years has passed since we finished college. I am writing this because I want to orgainse a reunion with our old classmates to celebrate this special anniversary.

I am thinking to

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 2.5

You establish the purpose of the letter by saying you want to organise a reunion to mark the ten-year anniversary, so the reader can understand the general topic. However, the response is incomplete: it stops at “I am thinking to” and does not say what kind of event you propose, why this would be a good way to celebrate, or what help you need from Jai. The required minimum length is also not met, leaving the task only minimally addressed. To improve, complete all three bullet points with specific details—for example, suggest a dinner or weekend gathering, explain how it would help classmates reconnect, and ask Jai to contact former classmates or help choose a venue.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The opening follows a sensible order: you greet Jai, refer to the ten-year milestone, and introduce the idea of a reunion. The greeting and short paragraphs also suit a personal letter. However, the response ends abruptly after “I am thinking to,” so there is no progression into the event details, reasons, or request for help. As a result, the reader cannot follow a complete sequence of ideas, and the unfinished final sentence disrupts the flow. Develop the letter in separate stages—event proposal, reasons, and practical help—and use simple links such as “because,” “also,” and “could you” to connect them.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use a small set of relevant expressions, including “reunion,” “old classmates,” and “special anniversary,” which make the purpose understandable. The vocabulary is nevertheless limited because the response is very short and does not describe the event or the help required. There is also a spelling error in “orgainse,” and “I am thinking to” is not a natural way to introduce a plan. Use more precise event-related language, such as “organise a dinner,” “get everyone together,” or “help contact our former classmates.” Check spelling and choose natural collocations so your meaning is clear and the letter sounds fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

You use basic sentence forms to communicate the greeting and the main purpose, and the sentence beginning “I am writing this because…” shows an attempt to link ideas with a subordinate clause. However, the range is narrow, and the unfinished “I am thinking to” leaves the final sentence grammatically incomplete. There are also errors in “Its hard to believe that ten years has passed”: the contraction needs an apostrophe, and the plural subject “ten years” requires “have passed.” Practise combining accurate simple sentences with complete clauses, for example, “I’m thinking of organising a dinner because it would give everyone time to catch up.”

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