Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

I hope everything is going well with you. Thank you very much for inviting me to throw a birthday party to Chris. Definitely he will enjoy the surprise party because it will be his first time to celebrate to have everyone around and I would have love to be there to celebrate this special ocassion with your family.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the party beacuse I have some personal matters that I need to take care of that weekend. I have to travel to another place that needs my immediate presence and I am afraid that I will not be able to change my schedule. I am truly sorry that I will not be able to attend the party.

However I would really like to meet Chris on another time. Perhaps we could arrange a simple lunch or coffee when I am free time. I would also like to bring a birthday present to make up for missing the celebration.

Please send my warmest birthday wishes to Chris. I hope you had a wonderful celebration filled with happiness and memorable moments.

Best wishes,

Jamie

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three requested points and maintain an appropriate, warm tone for a letter to Chris’s parents. You explain that Chris will enjoy having everyone together, give a reason for your absence, and suggest meeting for lunch or coffee while bringing a present. The apology and birthday wishes also suit the purpose. However, the explanation of why Chris will enjoy the surprise is somewhat unclear in “his first time to celebrate to have everyone around,” and the alternative plan remains general: “when I am free time” does not identify a proposed date or timeframe. Developing these details more clearly would make the response feel more complete and purposeful, while retaining the relevant ideas already included.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter is organised into clear paragraphs, with a sensible progression from thanks and the reason Chris may enjoy the party, to your apology, an alternative meeting, and closing wishes. Linking expressions such as “Unfortunately” and “However” help signal the shifts in purpose, and the overall message is easy to follow. Some connections are less smooth or precise, particularly the sentence joining the reason for the surprise with “I would have love to be there.” The final wish, “I hope you had a wonderful celebration,” also sounds as though the party has already happened, despite the earlier discussion of a future event. More careful sequencing and clearer references would make the cohesion more natural and less dependent on explicit transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a personal letter, including appropriate expressions such as “personal matters,” “immediate presence,” “make up for missing the celebration,” and “warmest birthday wishes.” These choices communicate the intended meaning and help establish a considerate tone. However, some collocations and phrases are inaccurate or awkward, including “inviting me to throw a birthday party to Chris,” “celebrate to have everyone around,” and “when I am free time.” There are also spelling errors in “ocassion” and “beacuse.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit the naturalness and precision of the language. Aim to use familiar collocations accurately and proofread spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple sentences and more complex forms, including the reason clause “because I have some personal matters that I need to take care of” and the conditional suggestion “Perhaps we could arrange a simple lunch or coffee.” Most of the message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. For example, “I would have love to be there” needs the past participle “loved,” while “I will not be able to attend the party” is followed by an incomplete or poorly connected explanation. “When I am free time” also has an incorrect grammatical construction, and “I hope you had” does not fit the future context. More accurate verb forms and sentence patterns would improve control while preserving your range.

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