Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-24
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 doing well!
Thank you for your warm invite to Chris birthday party on 10th September 2026. I am sure this will be the most memorable birthday for her, as this has been one of her dream to receive a surprise birthday party and having all her friends attend it after so many years of virtual birthday wishes makes it more special. Additionally having it at her favourite restaurant is like cherry on the cake.
Having said that I would like to hearly apologies for not being able to unattend the same as I have an important business tour to japan planned during the sametime i.e 1st September 2026 to 15th of September 2026 for an conference and my career growth is linked with the reports of the same.
However, as soon as I am back from the tour on 16th September 2026, will visit you and Chris in the last week of the month and we can plan a dinner or a small get together.
Thank you once again for the invitation. Have a wonderful celebration.
Looking forward to meeting you all.
Kind Regards.
Urvi
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5
You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained why Chris would enjoy the surprise, provided a valid reason for your absence, and proposed a concrete plan to meet her later. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, maintaining a polite and friendly register throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the task requirements. To reach a higher band, ensure that all minor grammatical slips do not distract from the clarity of your message, but overall, you have fully satisfied the requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0
The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your narrative easily. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Having said that', and 'However' to link your thoughts. While the flow is generally smooth, the transition between the apology and the explanation of your business trip could be slightly more refined. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sections of the letter, contributing to a coherent and well-structured response.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using phrases like 'memorable birthday', 'virtual birthday wishes', and 'career growth'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'hearly apologies' (should be 'heartfelt apologies') and 'unattend' (which is not the correct verb; 'attend' is correct, or 'unable to make it'). Despite these slips, your meaning is always clear, and you successfully convey your message using a variety of expressions suitable for a semi-formal letter.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While there are several grammatical errors—such as 'Chris birthday party' (missing possessive 's'), 'one of her dream' (should be 'dreams'), and 'during the sametime' (should be 'same time')—these do not impede communication. Your control over punctuation is generally good, though there are some minor issues with capitalization and missing articles. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of possessives. The majority of your sentences are clear and effectively communicate your intended meaning.
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