Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The parents of your Australian friend Chris have invited you to a surprise birthday party for him/her. Write a letter to Chris's parents. In your letter:

• say why you think Chris will enjoy the surprise party
• explain why you won't be able to attend the party
• give details of a plan to see Chris at a different time

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

Student answer (Band 7.0)

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

I hope you both are doing quite well. I am writing this letter to say thank you for inviting me to a surprise birthday party for Chris.

I must say that Chris will enjoy a lot. The reasons I am saying this is because he told me once that he enjoys these kinds of surprise partys. In addition to that, please make sure to have a chocolate cake only for his birthday celebration as he likes only sweet cakes.

Although I am super excited to see his expression in-person, I will not be able to make it in because I have a doctor appointment booked for my eye surgery. Unfortunately, I will not be able to cancel it as the next date I am currently getting is of the next year, and of course, I cannot wait until then since my eye, I think, is having a lot of pain.

Nevertheless, I have made some other plans to see Chris in person in coming summer. I am coming with my whole family to Australia only to meet Chris, and of course to you both as well.

Thank you for both of your understanding, and I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Kind regards,

Tirth Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

You address all three points clearly: you explain that Chris likes surprise parties, give a reason you cannot attend, and suggest meeting during the coming summer. The eye appointment and the long wait for another date make your apology understandable, while mentioning your family’s visit gives the alternative plan some detail. The suggestion of a chocolate cake adds a personal touch, although it is a little directive and does not develop why Chris will enjoy the event as much as a specific example of his past reaction might. The letter is appropriately addressed and signed, and its tone is generally warm. To strengthen the response further, make the reason for Chris’s enjoyment more precise and give the summer plan a clearer proposed time or activity.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The letter has a clear progression: thanks and party details, your reason for declining, an alternative plan, and a polite closing. Paragraphing separates these functions effectively, and linking expressions such as “In addition to that,” “Although,” and “Nevertheless” help guide the reader. The main ideas are easy to follow, and the reference to Chris remains clear throughout. Some transitions feel slightly formulaic, and “Although I am super excited to see his expression in-person” leads into the absence explanation in a way that is understandable but not especially smooth. A more direct transition, such as “I’m sorry, but…,” would make the shift more natural. Overall, the organisation is logical, with room to make cohesion less dependent on explicit linking phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a friendly personal letter, including “surprise birthday party,” “expression,” “appointment,” and “cancel.” These choices communicate the situation clearly, and the tone is mostly appropriate. However, some wording is imprecise or unnatural: “enjoy a lot” lacks a natural object or adverbial construction, “make it in” is awkward in this context, and “sweet cakes” is less idiomatic than a more specific description. There is also a spelling error in “partys.” These issues do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Aim for familiar collocations and check plural spelling; more exact language would make the letter sound more fluent and polished.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including the subordinate clauses in “Although I am super excited…” and “as the next date…,” and most of the message remains easy to understand. Some grammatical errors are present. For example, “The reasons I am saying this is because” has a mismatch between the plural subject and verb and an awkward clause structure; “in coming summer” is missing an article, and “the next date I am currently getting is of the next year” is not formed naturally. The sentence about your eye pain also has unclear punctuation and clause boundaries. These errors rarely obstruct the meaning, but more accurate agreement, articles, and sentence construction would improve control.

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