Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-06

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 6.0)

DEAR MR PATEL,

I HOPE YOU ARE DOING WELL. I AM WRITING THIS LETTER TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE AS YOU INVITED ME TO CHRIS'S SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY.

AS CHRIS LIKING THE SURPRISES THE MOST,THEREFORE HE DEFINITLY LIKE THIS PARTY. AS WELL AS, HE EAGER TO MEET EACH AND EVERYONE OF US AND LUCKILY HE GET A CHANCE TO MEET HIS OLD FRIENDS. SO, HE WILL BE EXTREMELY HAPPY.AND I WANT TO APOLOGIES FROM BOTTOM OF MY HEART AS I AM NOT ABLE TO CAME DUE TO MY EXTERNAL EXAMS.ADDITIONALLY, I AM IN MY FINAL YEAR AND IF I MISS THIS IT WILL BE GREAT LOSS FOR ME.

HOWEVER, I MAKE A PROMISE THAT I WILL VISIT YOUR HOME TO MEET CHRIS DURING MY VACATIONS. BUT, PLEASE DO NOT TELL CHRIS ABOUT MY PLAN BECAUSE I WANT TO SURPRISE HIM. SO, HE FEEL SPECIAL.

I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND MY SITUATION AND ACCEPT MY APOLOGY AND I ATTACHED A GIFT WITH THIS LETTER FOR CHRIS.

YOURS LOVINGLY,

FAHIMA

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you explain that Chris enjoys surprises and will be pleased to see old friends, give your external exams as the reason for missing the party, and propose visiting during your vacation. These are relevant and the intention to keep the visit secret adds a personal touch. However, the reasons for Chris’s enjoyment are only briefly stated, and the alternative plan is not specific about when you will visit or how you will arrange it. There is also an important mismatch: the task asks you to write to Mr and Mrs Collins, but you address “Mr Patel.” The apology and attached gift are appropriate details, but developing the main points more clearly and using the requested names would make the letter more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter follows a generally sensible order: greeting and purpose, reasons Chris may enjoy the party, your apology, and a future plan. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these stages, and linking expressions such as “However” and “Additionally” show an effort to connect ideas. This gives the response a coherent overall arrangement. Some connections are mechanical or unclear, though: “As Chris liking the surprises the most, therefore…” combines two linking patterns awkwardly, while repeated “So” statements make the progression feel less natural. The long middle section also moves quickly from Chris’s enjoyment to your absence. Use clearer paragraphing for each task point and connect ideas with simpler, more precise transitions to make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of relevant vocabulary for a personal letter, including “surprise birthday party,” “old friends,” “external exams,” “vacations,” and “apology.” These choices make the main message understandable, and phrases such as “from the bottom of my heart” show an attempt to express warmth. However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “express my gratitude as you invited me,” “I want to apologies,” and “great loss for me.” “Definitely” is also misspelled, and the repeated use of “surprise,” “meet,” and “happy” limits variety. Aim for natural phrases such as “thank you for inviting me,” “I’m sorry I can’t attend,” and “I would be delighted to see him.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts both simple and more complex sentences, for example the explanation beginning “because I want to surprise him” and the conditional idea about missing exams. The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but some errors in verb forms, agreement, and sentence construction reduce accuracy. Examples include “As Chris liking,” “he definitely like,” “he get a chance,” “I am not able to came,” and “So, he feel special”; these need forms such as “Chris likes,” “he will like/get,” “I am not able to come,” and “he will feel.” Several sentences are joined with full stops or commas in ways that interrupt the flow, and the all-capital presentation makes punctuation harder to read. Practise accurate tense and agreement in complete sentences, then vary sentence patterns while checking each clause.

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