Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-27

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 8.0)

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

Thank you so much to both of you for inviting me to Chris's 25th birthday party at your home. Chirs will enjoy this surprise party because he used to tell me how much he wanted to have a surprise birthday party at home. Finally, his dream came true.

Unfortunately, I have my final exam for the current semester on that day, and I won't be able to attend the party, sadly. However, I have a plan to come to your city after my exam and will celebrate Chris's birthday party again.

So, here is my plan detail. We will have a dinner party at "Umami Sushi" one of his favourite sushi restaurants. I had made a reservation for 4 people, and I requested the staff to sing a birthday song with a guitar, which Chris loves all the time. In addition, I had ordered a mango lava cake as a birthday cake for him.

I will send another email telling you guys the exact day that I will be there soon. Thank you for your invitation, and I hope to see you guys soon.

Yours faithfully,

Yu

AI examiner evaluation

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 (a final exam), and offered a concrete alternative plan to celebrate. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, maintaining a polite and appreciative register throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the task requirements, ensuring the reader understands the situation and your proposed solution clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

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 used cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'However', and 'In addition' to link your sentences and paragraphs effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter. To reach a higher band, ensure that referencing remains consistent; for example, 'you guys' is slightly informal for a letter to parents, and using 'you' or 'you both' would improve the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message with precision. Phrases like 'final exam for the current semester' and 'made a reservation' are used accurately. There are some minor stylistic choices that could be improved, such as 'you guys', which is quite informal. While your vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items would enhance the quality of your writing. Overall, your word choice is clear and does not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good control of grammar with a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most of your sentences are error-free, and the meaning is always clear. There is a minor tense inconsistency in 'I had made a reservation' (past perfect is not necessary here; simple past 'I have made' or 'I made' would be more natural). Additionally, there is a small typo in the first paragraph ('Chirs'). Despite these minor slips, your grammatical control is strong and supports the clarity of your message.

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