Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 am fine and hope you both are doing well too. I received your invitation letter regarding the surprise birthday party you are planning to host for Chris. He wil definitely love this idea as he always expressed his desire of receiving surprise gifts on his birthday. There will be no better year than his 18th birthday for a surprise bash. No one has been talking to him about his birthday. For this reason, I am sure that he thinks we all forgot about it. However, when he sees a surprise party, he will be thrilled.

I am extremely grateful that you both considered to invite me for thisparty. However, I will not be able to attend as I am going to India for my best friend Muskan's wedding during the same time. I had already booked my tickets last month as I was not aware of this surprise party at all. Muskan is my best friend and we promised during our college days to be with each other on our weddings and hence it is necessary for me to fly back to home for her marriage.

I will definitely see Chris after I return. I will return 3 days after his birthday and get a present for him from India. I am planning to get a traditional dresss from my village as he admires that a lot. I do not want to see him prior to leaving as I am afraid I may not accidentally speak about the surprise. Please feel free to reach out if you need any assistance in hosting the party. I will also send you contact information of our other friends so that you can invite them too.

Regards

Nandini Chandla

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The letter covers all three required points clearly and develops them with relevant detail. You explain why Chris will enjoy the surprise, linking it to his wish for surprise gifts and the significance of his 18th birthday; you give a specific reason for your absence, including the wedding and pre-booked tickets; and you propose seeing him after you return, with a gift from India. The offer to help invite friends also suits the situation. These details make the message complete and convincing. To make the response even more polished, you could state a specific day or arrangement for meeting Chris rather than saying only that you will see him after returning. Overall, the purpose and tone are consistently appropriate for a personal letter to his parents.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter is organised in a clear sequence: you respond to the invitation and explain Chris’s likely reaction, then give your reason for declining, and finally describe a later meeting and offer help. Paragraphing supports this progression, and links such as “However,” “For this reason,” and “hence” make relationships between ideas easy to follow. The final paragraph does contain several different points—your return, the present, avoiding Chris before the party, and helping with invitations—so its focus becomes slightly crowded. A clearer separation or a more deliberate order for these details would make the progression smoother. Some transitions, particularly repeated uses of “However,” are a little noticeable, but the overall organisation remains clear and effective.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use enough vocabulary to express the situation with some variety, including “surprise bash,” “thrilled,” “booked my tickets,” and “traditional dress.” These choices help convey a warm, personal tone, and the meaning remains clear throughout. There are, however, some inaccurate or awkward word choices and spelling slips: “desire of receiving” is less natural than “wish to receive,” “fly back to home” is not idiomatic, and “dresss” contains a spelling error. “Thisparty” also needs a space. A few phrases, such as “surprise gifts on his birthday,” could be made more precise and natural. Greater control of collocations and careful proofreading would add the flexibility and precision needed for a stronger performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including subordinate clauses such as “as I am going to India” and “as I am afraid I may not accidentally speak about the surprise.” Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, and the explanation of your absence is easy to understand. Some grammatical errors remain, however. For example, “I received your invitation letter regarding the surprise birthday party you are planning to host” shifts awkwardly between past and present framing, while “considered to invite me” uses an incorrect verb pattern; “considered inviting me” would be more natural. “We promised … to be with each other on our weddings” also has an unclear plural reference. Review verb patterns, tense consistency, and sentence phrasing to improve accuracy while retaining your range.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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