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 Collins,
I'm writing this letter because I want to share some details about Chris's surprise party, which is on next Sunday. I and Chris are childhood friends, so I know him very well.
He always likes the surprises, and he always enjoys the surprises. So I'm sure he also enjoys his birthday party, which is on next Sunday.
In addition, I also want to share that I'll not be able to join his birthday party because from next week my semester exams will be starting. I know Chris will be disappointed with me, but I have to focus on my exam.
But you don't need to worry about the party; I already planned his birthday party. He likes the balloon and music, so I already arranged the music band, and my brother will help you to decorate his room with the balloons. And also he likes the dark chocolate, so I already ordered a dark chocolate cake.
I hope he will enjoy his birthday party, and my wishes are always with him. And he will never forget his surprise party.
Your Faithfully,
Jack
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You explained why Chris would enjoy the party, provided a reason for your absence, and offered a plan to meet him later. However, the task asks you to write to 'Mr and Mrs Collins', but you addressed the letter only to 'Mr Collins'. Additionally, the third bullet point regarding a plan to see Chris at a different time is missing from your response; you focused entirely on the party arrangements instead of proposing a future meeting. To improve, ensure you explicitly address all recipients mentioned in the prompt and cover every bullet point with specific, relevant details.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The letter follows a basic logical progression, and the purpose of the writing is clear. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In addition' and 'But', though these are sometimes used in a repetitive or slightly mechanical way. Paragraphing is present but could be more effectively used to separate the different points of the letter. The flow between sentences is generally understandable, but the connection between your inability to attend and the party planning details feels a bit abrupt. Using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring each paragraph focuses on a single clear idea would improve the overall structure.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your message clearly. You use some topic-specific vocabulary like 'childhood friends', 'disappointed', and 'decorate'. However, there is a lack of variety, and some phrasing is repetitive, such as the repeated use of 'surprise party' and 'birthday party'. To reach a higher band, try to use more precise synonyms or collocations. For example, instead of saying 'I already planned', you could use 'I have taken the initiative to organize'. The range is sufficient for basic communication but lacks the flexibility required for higher scores.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You demonstrate a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'which is on next Sunday' (the 'on' is unnecessary), 'I and Chris' (should be 'Chris and I'), and 'He likes the balloon' (should be 'balloons'). Additionally, there are issues with article usage and verb tense consistency. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency of the letter. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles will help improve your accuracy.
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