Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

I hope you both are doing well. I believe Chris is doing well too!. I am very glad that you are inviting me to the surprise birthday party for Chris. To be honest, he will be really astonished to see the wonderful arrangements made for his birthday.

As I grew along with Chris since childhood, I had seen him splurging himself with joy for tiny surprises that i do for him. I am sure you both might have arranged for all of his favourite things that Chris was looking forward this year.

Unfortunately, I have a very important interview on Chris birthday and I will not be able to join you people for his surprise party. I will really miss him and his reactions for the surprises in his party. But, I will be visiting Australia this Christmas and I will make sure, I will be spending some quality time with you and Chris. I am very excited for spending the Christmas with my best friend.

See you soon Mr and Mrs. Collins. Have a wonderful party ahead !

Warm Regards,

Theepica

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained why Chris would enjoy the party, provided a valid reason for your absence (a job interview), and proposed a concrete plan to meet him during your Christmas visit. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, maintaining a polite and friendly register throughout. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands the situation clearly. You have fully met the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the task. You use appropriate paragraphing to separate your ideas. There is a clear progression of thought from the opening pleasantries to the explanation of your absence and the future plan. While some cohesive devices are used effectively, such as 'Unfortunately' and 'But', the flow could be further improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect sentences more fluidly. Overall, the message is easy to follow and the structure is coherent.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. Phrases like 'wonderful arrangements', 'quality time', and 'astonished' are used correctly and fit the context well. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'grew along with Chris' (should be 'grew up with') and 'splurging himself with joy' (which is not a standard collocation). While these do not impede communication, using more precise collocations would elevate your score. You have a sufficient range to express your ideas clearly and appropriately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'I had seen him' (should be 'I have seen him' or 'I have watched him'), 'Chris birthday' (missing possessive 's'), and 'excited for spending' (should be 'excited to spend'). Punctuation is generally clear, though there are some minor issues with spacing before punctuation marks. Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the grammar does not hinder the reader's understanding of your message.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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