Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-05
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/Mrs Williams,
How is everything? I hope this letter meets you well. I received the invitation about Chris surprise birthday party that will be happening this weekend and i think it is a good idea.
While we were growing up, Chris has always loved surprises especially when it comes to special occasions. I could remember during his 17th birthday, he was sad when he thought everyone had forgotten about his birthday. I could recall the look on his face when he walked into a room full of his friends and loved ones, he was so overjoyed and still talks about that event till this day.
Unfortunately, I would have loved to attend the party my company is organizing a conference during the weekend and attendance is compulsory. I sincerely wished this I can make but it’s so sad I’m going to miss this beautiful moment.
Since I’m still in contact with Chris, I would schedule a different date with him and hang out with him. Plus, he usually attends the same church as I do so we are both certainly going to see this Sunday in service.
Thank you so much reaching out and have a wonderful birthday celebration.
Best wishes,
ABC
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5
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 alternative plan to meet him. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, maintaining a friendly and polite register throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the task requirements, ensuring the reader understands your situation and your intentions clearly. No parts of the task were omitted, and the purpose of the letter is achieved effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific point from the prompt, which helps the reader follow your narrative easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'While', 'Unfortunately', and 'Since' to link your ideas. However, the transition between the explanation of your absence and the alternative plan could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is coherent, making the letter easy to read and understand from start to finish.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. Phrases like 'special occasions', 'overjoyed', and 'compulsory' are used correctly and fit the context well. There are a few minor issues, such as 'I received the invitation about Chris surprise birthday party' (missing possessive 's') and 'Thank you so much reaching out' (missing 'for'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions would elevate the response to a higher band. The current range is functional and appropriate for a semi-formal letter.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are some grammatical slips that occur throughout the text. For example, 'I hope this letter meets you well' is a slight misuse of the idiom 'I hope this letter finds you well'. Additionally, there are minor punctuation and tense errors, such as 'I sincerely wished this I can make' which is syntactically awkward. Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear, and the mistakes do not impede communication. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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