Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-16
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 5.0)
Dear Michael,
Its been long since we met last time after our college graduation. With the 10 year anniversary approaching next month, I thought it would be great to host an event to invite all of our friends and classmates for reunion for that I need some help from you for the arrangements.
The event will have DJ artisit, bar and dinner that way we can keep this from not becoming career event
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
You identify a reunion for the ten-year anniversary and give a few event details, including a DJ, a bar and dinner. However, the response addresses the task only minimally: it does not clearly explain why this format would be good, and the phrase “keep this from not becoming career event” is difficult to understand. You mention needing help with arrangements, but do not specify what Michael should do. The letter also stops abruptly without a proper closing. The response is 77 words below the required minimum, leaving too little space to develop the three requested points. Add a clear reason for the celebration format and specific requests, such as contacting classmates or booking a venue, then complete the letter politely.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The opening establishes the context and the anniversary idea, so the reader can follow the general purpose of the letter. However, the response consists of only two paragraphs, with the main information crowded into a long first paragraph and the event details placed in a fragment-like second paragraph. The connection between the event plan and the request for help is not clearly developed, and “that way” does not make the intended relationship between the details and the reason easy to follow. There is no closing or sign-off to complete the letter. Organise the content into clear stages—occasion and invitation, event plan and reason, then specific help requested—and use linking phrases to show how the ideas relate.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use some relevant vocabulary for the situation, including “anniversary,” “host an event,” “friends and classmates,” “DJ,” “bar” and “dinner.” This gives the reader a basic sense of the proposed reunion. However, the range is limited, and several word choices or forms make the message unclear: “DJ artisit” is misspelled, “for reunion” is an awkward expression, and “career event” does not communicate a clear meaning in this context. The phrase “keep this from not becoming” is also confusing. Use more precise event-planning language, such as “reunion dinner,” “venue,” “entertainment” and “contact the classmates,” and check spelling and collocations before submitting.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
The response attempts to combine ideas using a longer sentence, for example, “With the 10 year anniversary approaching next month, I thought it would be great to host an event…” This shows an attempt to use more than simple sentences. However, the range remains limited, and errors in sentence construction and punctuation make parts difficult to read. “Its been long since we met last time” needs a more accurate tense and structure, while the long sentence beginning “With the 10 year anniversary…” runs several ideas together without clear punctuation. The final sentence also lacks a clear grammatical structure. Practise accurate present-perfect forms and divide connected ideas into shorter sentences, using full stops and commas to make the relationships clear.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.