Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-03

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 5.5)

Dear friend,

How is everything?Hope you are doing well that things are going smooth at home and at work.I feel like ages when we last caught up, so i was thinking to organize a enjoyfull get together for all our college friends.That will be exciting and joyfull to reopen all the memories we spent together during college time.

This small celebration can give us a relaxing break from our busy schedule. Everyone can bindup with each other to share personal experiences of their lives. In my opinion this can be a wonderful experience after a long time patchup.

I need your help to organize this party. I want you to suggest me some locations and if you can help me to make a group chat on whatsapp, so we can discuss this with everyone and decide a date.

yours truly,

Kuljinder kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address all three bullet points: you propose a get-together, explain that it would offer a break from busy schedules and a chance to share life updates, and ask your friend to suggest venues and create a WhatsApp group. These are relevant ideas, but the reasons and event plan remain brief, so the purpose is only partly developed. The request for help could also be more specific—for example, asking your friend to contact classmates or help choose a date. The response is 142 words, below the required 150-word minimum, which further limits how fully you can develop the letter. Add a few details about the event and explain more clearly why this format suits the anniversary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: an opening, a paragraph explaining the value of meeting, and a final paragraph requesting help. The ideas progress logically from the proposed reunion to its benefits and then to practical arrangements. This coherent structure meets the lower-band expectations well, and the paragraphing helps the reader follow your purpose. To show more of the next level, connect ideas more smoothly and avoid abrupt transitions. For instance, “This small celebration” refers back to the get-together, but the link could be made clearer by naming the event again. Also separate sentences with appropriate spaces and punctuation, and use a more natural closing so the letter feels consistently polished.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main purpose, including “celebration,” “relaxing break,” “personal experiences,” and “organize.” However, the range is limited and several noticeable word-choice, collocation, and spelling errors make parts sound unnatural: “enjoyfull get together,” “bindup,” “patchup,” and “reopen all the memories.” These choices may make the reader pause, even though the intended meaning is generally recoverable. Aim for familiar, accurate expressions rather than combining words in unusual ways. For example, say “enjoyable get-together,” “reconnect,” “catch up on each other’s lives,” and “reminisce about our college days.” Check spelling and use consistent forms such as “organise” or “organize.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Your sentences communicate the basic message, and you attempt some longer structures, such as “I want you to suggest me some locations and if you can help me…” However, the range is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to affect fluency. Examples include “How is everything?Hope…” (missing space and sentence separation), “I feel like ages when we last caught up,” and “I want you to suggest me,” where the sentence patterns are not formed correctly. Capitalisation is also inconsistent in “i” and “yours truly.” Practise accurate question forms and request structures, such as “It feels like ages since we last caught up” and “Could you suggest some locations?” Building reliable simple sentences before adding clauses will improve control.

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

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