Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-03

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 6.0)

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

I was delighted to see Chris birthday's invitation. I am so grateful to you for this invite.

I hope that Chris would love this party as he always appreciate surprises. When we were in our high school, he arranged surprise events for me many times. As it is his 30th birthday and he has a hectic schedule, this event will provide him with a chance to unwind from routine life and spend some quality time with loved ones.

I wish I could make it to come over but I sincerely apologise. My mother is not feeling well and I am the only person available to look after her. Please accept my apology.

I am planning to visit Australia in December and hope that my mother will recover until that time. I will visit your home definitely. I hope you will have a great time together. I am looking forward to seeing photographs of the event.

Yours truly,

Sana.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

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, 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 warm register throughout. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands your situation and your intentions. To reach a higher band, ensure that your opening sentence is grammatically accurate, as 'Chris birthday's invitation' is slightly awkward. Overall, the task requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the prompt. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the invitation to the explanation of absence and finally to the future plan. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'As it is his 30th birthday' and 'I am planning to', which help the flow. However, the transition between sentences could be smoother in some places. For example, the jump from the apology to the mother's health is a bit abrupt. Using more varied linking words would improve the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases like 'hectic schedule', 'unwind from routine life', and 'sincerely apologise' are well-chosen and appropriate for the context. There are some minor errors, such as 'Chris birthday's invitation' (should be 'Chris's birthday invitation') and 'recover until that time' (should be 'recover by that time'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions would help elevate the lexical range to a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. Most of your sentences are clear and easy to follow. However, there are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'I hope that Chris would love' (should be 'will love'), 'make it to come over' (should be 'make it'), and 'recover until that time' (should be 'by that time'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do show a lack of full control over complex structures. Focusing on verb tense consistency and preposition usage will help you improve your accuracy.

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