Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

I hope you are doing well . I am writing this letter just to inform you that i am unable to attend the birthday party next week .

As you are aware that I am pursuing my bachelor's degree and my exams are scheduled next week , so I can't miss my exams . But I'll promise that Chris will enjoy the party because I am planning to send a surprise gift for him . The PS 5 which he wished for so long to get and i got that for his birthday .

A relief moment for him that I am sending the copy of flight ticket which i booked for next month on september 2nd to meet in Italy for old friends in get to gather party . I know we will spend good time there by enjoying different places of Italy .

Looking forward for his reaction after a gift which is full of suprises .

Yours truely

Sukhman

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You explained why Chris would enjoy the surprise, provided a reason for your absence, and detailed a future plan to meet. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of why Chris would enjoy the party is slightly disconnected from the surprise party itself, focusing more on your gift. To reach a higher band, ensure that your ideas are more fully extended and directly relevant to the specific context of the surprise party described in the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the apology to the explanation and finally the alternative plan. Paragraphing is present, though the structure is a bit fragmented. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'As you are aware' and 'But', but the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical. The transition between the gift mention and the flight ticket plan is abrupt, which affects the overall coherence. Using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between ideas would improve the readability and logical flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your message clearly. You use some specific terms like 'pursuing my bachelor's degree' and 'scheduled'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'relief moment' and 'get to gather party' (which should be 'get-together'). The phrasing 'full of suprises' is also slightly unnatural. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure that your spelling is accurate, as there are a few minor errors throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, including issues with article usage ('the PS 5', 'the copy of flight ticket'), subject-verb agreement, and punctuation (e.g., unnecessary spaces before commas). Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'I'll promise that Chris will enjoy the party because I am planning to send a surprise gift for him.' Improving your control over basic grammar and punctuation, as well as reducing these recurring errors, will help you achieve a higher band score.

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