Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-25
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 hope you and Chris are doing well. I received your invitation for Chris's 20th surprise birthday party. Well, I believe he is going to super happy after knowing this surprise. However, I might not be able to attend this party.
Well, I known Chris has always been excited for his 20th birthday as you guys have promised him to gift him a motor bike at the age of 20. Moreover, inviting all of his close friends to celebrate this day is an excellent idea. He has been missing us because I know its been 3 years since he has met his oversees friends.
However, I regret that I won't be able to join on his precious occasion as I have my final exams going on the same day of his birthday. But I promise I will definitely plan to visit him this summer vacation and we will go for a trip in Australia on his motor bike.
I hope that you will forgive me for my absence and let him know about my plans for this summer vacation.
With regards,
Khushal
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5
You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained why Chris would enjoy the party, provided a valid reason for your absence (final exams), and proposed a concrete plan to meet him 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 context provided. To reach a higher band, ensure that all parts of the prompt are balanced; for instance, the explanation of why he would enjoy the party could be slightly more focused on the 'surprise' element itself rather than just the motorbike gift.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which helps the reader follow your narrative easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'However', and 'But' to link your sentences. While the structure is sound, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive, particularly the use of 'Well' at the start of sentences. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between ideas would enhance the flow of the letter and help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, successfully conveying your message. You use some appropriate phrases like 'precious occasion' and 'summer vacation'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and informal choices, such as 'super happy' and 'you guys', which are slightly too casual for a letter to parents. Additionally, there is a spelling error ('oversees' instead of 'overseas') and a minor collocation issue ('knowing this surprise' instead of 'finding out about this surprise'). Expanding your range to include more precise, natural-sounding collocations would strengthen your lexical profile.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I known Chris has always been excited' (should be 'I know'), 'its been 3 years' (should be 'it has been'), and 'on the same day of his birthday' (should be 'on the same day as his birthday'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of tense markers. Increasing the frequency of error-free complex sentences will help you move toward a higher band score.
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