Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-08

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 would like to thank you for inviting me to Chris's birthday party. Unfortunately, I will not be able to come to the party due to my final test. I am sure that Chris would love your surprise because he told me many time during college that he likes to spend such special occasions with his family. So this surprise will make his dreams come true.

I wish I could reschedule my exam but my university do not allow to reschedule final test. I hope you guys will enjoy his birthday party this time. Please I kindly request that you take pictures as much as you can. I would love to see them after my exam.

I am planning to meet Chris on the weekend so why don't you come for a dinner with us. I would love to have you and discuss about birthday celebration. Would you be able to come to Sagar restaurent for a dinner on 21st December?

I look forward to hearing you.

Thanks

Kind regards,

Vaibhav

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three points clearly: you explain that Chris enjoys family occasions, give your final test as the reason you cannot attend, and suggest meeting for dinner on 21 December. The explanation that the surprise will “make his dreams come true” adds support, and the invitation to his parents gives a concrete alternative plan. The main opportunity is to develop the plan slightly more precisely: “on the weekend” is vague, and it is not clear whether 21 December is the weekend you mean. You could also make the reason Chris will enjoy the party more specific by mentioning what he particularly values about celebrating with his family. Overall, the required purpose and details are communicated effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall progression: thanks and explanation, a paragraph about missing the event, then a proposed alternative meeting and a closing. This paragraphing helps the reader follow the three purposes. Linking phrases such as “Unfortunately,” “So,” and “I hope” make relationships between ideas clear, and the sequence is generally logical. To make the flow more polished, avoid abrupt shifts such as moving from asking for photos directly to the dinner invitation; a brief transition could connect these plans. The closing also feels slightly fragmented because “I look forward to hearing you,” “Thanks,” and “Kind regards” are stacked together. More natural referencing and a smoother sign-off would strengthen cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for this personal letter and communicates the main ideas, with useful expressions such as “surprise,” “special occasions,” “reschedule,” and “celebration.” The tone is generally friendly and appropriate. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “many time,” “request that you take pictures as much as you can,” and “discuss about birthday celebration.” “Restaurent” is also misspelled. These do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Aim to learn common word partnerships and check spelling, especially for less familiar words. A more idiomatic choice such as “take plenty of photos” would make the request sound more fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex forms, including the reason clause “because he told me…” and the conditional question “Would you be able to come…?” Most sentences communicate their meaning, and the errors rarely obstruct the reader. Some grammatical inaccuracies remain: “my university do not allow” needs subject–verb agreement (“does not allow”), while “many time” needs a plural noun (“many times”). The phrase “I look forward to hearing you” also needs the preposition “from.” There are some longer sentences, but greater control of agreement, articles, and sentence punctuation would make them more reliable. Proofread each sentence for its subject and verb, and check whether a verb pattern requires a preposition.

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