Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-09
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 7.5)
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Collins,
I hope you are both well. I received your invitation yesterday and I cannot express in words how thankful I am for inviting me on Chris's birthday party next weekend.
I am sure that Chris will enjoy every moment of this celebration especially because all of his friends and our former classmates will be there, not to mention his love for surprises. In as much as I wanted to attend, I regret to inform you that I will not be able to join the fun due to some prior commitments. Next weekend is my scheduled thesis presentation and unfortunately it cannot be postponed.
I have plans of meeting Chris after my presentation. There is one Mexican restaurant near the old garden opposite our Secondary school. I already made a dinner reservation on the 15th, and you are welcome to join us if you are both free on that day.
Best regards,
Jing
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5
You address all three points clearly: you explain why Chris will enjoy seeing friends and former classmates, give a specific reason for your absence (your thesis presentation), and propose dinner on the 15th. The invitation for his parents to join also suits the friendly purpose of the letter. Your ideas are relevant and supported, particularly the detail about Chris’s love of surprises. To make the response more fully developed, clarify the timing of the dinner—for example, give the month or say it will be after the presentation—so the plan is unambiguous. The opening and closing are appropriate, and the tone remains considerate throughout, although the explanation of the party’s appeal could be a little more personal to Chris.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5
The letter has a clear progression from acknowledging the invitation, to explaining Chris’s likely enjoyment and your inability to attend, and finally to suggesting another meeting. Paragraphing supports this sequence, and links such as “especially because,” “not to mention,” and “unfortunately” help connect the ideas. The reader can follow the message without difficulty. Some transitions are slightly formulaic, and the second paragraph combines the party explanation with the refusal, making it somewhat dense. A clearer separation between these functions, or a more natural transition into the reason for declining, would make the organisation feel more polished. The final paragraph gives the alternative plan directly, though the date would benefit from clearer context.
Lexical Resource: Band 7.0
You use a suitable range of vocabulary for a warm, semi-formal letter, including “former classmates,” “prior commitments,” “thesis presentation,” and “dinner reservation.” These choices communicate the main details precisely, and the tone is generally appropriate. There are occasional awkward collocations that limit naturalness: “inviting me on Chris’s birthday party” and “I have plans of meeting Chris” are not idiomatic formulations. “In as much as I wanted to attend” is also rather formal and cumbersome for this friendly context. Aim for natural combinations such as “inviting me to Chris’s birthday party,” “I plan to meet Chris,” and “Although I would love to attend.” This would make your vocabulary more fluent and flexible.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0
You demonstrate a useful mix of sentence forms, including the complex sentence beginning “I am sure that Chris will enjoy every moment” and the sentence explaining that the presentation “cannot be postponed.” Most of the message is easy to understand, and punctuation generally supports the meaning. A few grammatical patterns need closer control. In “I cannot express in words how thankful I am for inviting me,” the subject of “inviting” is unclear; “thankful to you for inviting me” would be more accurate. The construction “In as much as I wanted to attend” is also awkward in this context, and “I have plans of meeting” would be better as “I plan to meet.” Greater accuracy in these patterns would strengthen an otherwise clear response.
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