Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

I hope you are doing great. First of all, Thank you so much for inviting me to chirs's Birthday party. I love to hear about your idea of throwing surprise birthday party to chris.

I love attending birthday parties,but i guess it will be more fun to see my friend happy. This idea is very unique and fun. I believe chris will love this surprise birthday with friends and family.

I would love to be a part of this event but unfortunately, This coming weekend i have to travel to lahore for my cousin's wedding. I already feel sad and guilty to not attend this special event arranged for my best friend. I informed chris about the wedding already. I am so sorry for my absence.

I will returned to islamabad next tuesday and will plan to meet chris outside school. I will apologise him aswell.

Thank you for your kind invitation.

Hina.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you explain that Chris will enjoy celebrating with “friends and family,” give a clear reason for your absence (your cousin’s wedding in Lahore), and suggest meeting after you return to Islamabad. The apology and thanks also suit the purpose of a friendly letter. However, some details are less fully developed than others. The reason Chris will enjoy the surprise is stated generally, and the alternative plan—meeting “outside school” next Tuesday—would be clearer with a specific time or activity. You also say you have already told Chris about the wedding, which makes the surprise context slightly less clear. Add a little more explanation and make the plan precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: you thank the parents and discuss the party, explain your absence, then propose a later meeting and close politely. Paragraphing helps the reader follow these stages, and linking phrases such as “but unfortunately” and “I will” make the sequence understandable. This meets the lower-band expectations securely and shows some effective progression. To make the organisation more polished, avoid repeating the apology and sadness in the absence paragraph, and connect the final plan more explicitly to your return. The shift from saying you have informed Chris about the wedding to describing a surprise party could also be clarified so the relationship between these details is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main ideas and maintain a warm, appropriate tone, with phrases such as “kind invitation,” “special event,” and “best friend.” There are also attempts at more expressive wording, including “unique” and “guilty.” However, some choices and collocations are awkward or repetitive, such as “throwing surprise birthday party,” “love to hear about your idea,” and “I will apologise him.” Spelling and capitalisation are inconsistent in words such as “chirs,” “lahore,” and “islamabad,” which reduces accuracy. Aim for more natural phrases and check names and place names carefully; this will make your meaning sound more fluent and precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You communicate the main message using a mixture of simple sentences and some longer structures, including “I would love to be a part of this event but unfortunately…” Most sentences are understandable, and the sequence of events is clear. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with verb forms and sentence construction: “I will returned” should be “I will return,” and “I will apologise him” needs a different grammatical pattern, such as “I will apologise to him.” Capitalisation after commas is also inconsistent, as in “but unfortunately, This coming weekend.” Use a wider range of accurately controlled sentence patterns and proofread verb forms, articles, and punctuation to improve clarity.

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

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