Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-26
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 Uncle and Aunty,
I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I'm really pleased to see your invitation to organise Jay's 21st birthday party and I'd love to be a part of it.
As I remember he had a tight schedule owing to his new job and exams that made us cancel our plans for his birthday celebration. However, this year gonna be amazing as we'll all get-together after a long time that would be best surprise for him ever.
Unfortunately, I just checked my email which says next week going to be my promotion week and I'll be unable to skip any day as it'll affect my performance in assigned task that can cause delays in my promotion.
Moreover, during upcoming long weekends I'd prefer to take Chris on a renowned restaurant where everything will be decorated to surprise him. Along with this, I've also planned his favorite game in Big Entertainments afterwards that would bring so much happiness.
Anyway, I'd better get going. I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon if you're okay with these plans. Please let me know what you think.
Best wishes,
Gurmeet
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5
You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explained why Chris would enjoy the party, provided a valid reason for your absence, and proposed a concrete alternative plan. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, although you addressed them as 'Uncle and Aunty' instead of the requested 'Mr and Mrs Collins'. While the task requirements were met, the development of ideas is somewhat brief. To reach a higher band, ensure that your explanations are slightly more detailed and that you strictly follow the opening salutation instructions provided in the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the task. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Unfortunately', and 'Moreover' to link your thoughts. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother, and some of the sentence structures feel slightly disjointed. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is easy to follow, which is a key requirement for this band level.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using phrases like 'tight schedule', 'renowned restaurant', and 'high spirits'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'organise Jay's 21st birthday party' (when the prompt implies you are a guest) and 'at a different time' vs 'on a renowned restaurant' (the preposition 'at' is better suited for a location). While you attempt some less common vocabulary, there is room for more precision and natural-sounding collocations to reach a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'this year gonna be' (informal/incorrect verb form), 'next week going to be' (missing 'is'), and 'take Chris on a renowned restaurant' (incorrect preposition). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article errors throughout. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will significantly improve your accuracy.
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