Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-07
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 and Mrs Collins,
I hope you are both doing great and thank you for inviting me on Chris's surprise birthday party. I really appreciate your kind invitation.
I am sure Chris will really enjoy this surprise because I know how much he love surprise . He always prefer social getherings with family and friends together and he is always excited for surprises.
Unfortunalty, I wont able to come because of my work commitments and I am going to out of town for few days . I received your letter after I booked my tickets and at this point I cant changes to my schedule.
I would love to celebrate his birthday with you all. I have a plan to celebrate it on next weekend . I will see you at Chris's favourate cafe Sneakers and bar.We will arrange a lunch , small surprise for him . I will bring special gift for him from Dubai.
I am excited to see you soon.
Your sincerely
aman
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The response successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain why Chris would enjoy the surprise, provide a logical reason for your absence, and propose a specific alternative plan to meet. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents. To reach a higher band, ensure that your ideas are slightly more developed; for instance, you could elaborate on why Chris specifically enjoys surprises or provide more detail about the 'special gift' you intend to bring. Overall, the task is fully completed with a clear purpose and relevant content.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each serving a clear purpose. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'I am sure', 'Unfortunatly', and 'I would love to'. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally slightly mechanical. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and transition phrases to connect your ideas more fluidly. For example, instead of starting sentences with 'I' repeatedly, you could use introductory phrases to vary the sentence structure. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow throughout the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using words like 'commitments', 'appreciate', and 'invitation' correctly. There are some minor spelling errors, such as 'getherings' (gatherings), 'Unfortunatly' (Unfortunately), and 'favourate' (favourite). Additionally, there are some minor collocation issues, such as 'I am going to out of town' (I am going to be out of town) and 'I cant changes to my schedule' (I cannot make changes to my schedule). While these errors do not impede communication, addressing them would improve the precision and professionalism of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical slips, such as 'he love surprise' (he loves surprises), 'I wont able to' (I won't be able to), and 'on next weekend' (next weekend). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas and periods. While you attempt to use complex sentences, the accuracy is inconsistent. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of auxiliary verbs. Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear, and the reader can easily understand your message.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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