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 would like to say you both my respectful hello and congratulation for Chris upcoming birthday. As i know Chris loves surprises and i am glad you are plaining an exciting surprise birthday party. Being extrovert personality , Chris love to spend his special moments with his close friends and family member and the surprise will make his happiness even more on extreme level.
I would like to inform you due to my cousin marriage which is happening same day as Chris surprise birthday party, I can not be able to attend his party. I am deeply saddened to be not a part of his memorable event. I would try to arrange both events together but my cousin marriage is holding out of town which makes me impossible to attend his party event. I would like to plan a small get to together for his birthday at my house in this upcoming weekend where i can embrace the opportunity of spending time with him and make his be-related birthday party special.
Best wishes,
Simranpreet Kaur
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
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. To reach a higher band, ensure that your ideas are developed with more natural phrasing; for instance, the explanation regarding the cousin's wedding could be streamlined to sound more fluent. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements are fully met.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'I would like to' and 'I am deeply saddened' to transition between ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing, such as 'Being extrovert personality'. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'nevertheless') to connect your sentences more fluidly. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow throughout the response.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using phrases like 'memorable event' and 'embrace the opportunity'. However, there are several instances of unnatural word choice and minor errors, such as 'plaining' instead of 'planning', 'extrovert personality' instead of 'extroverted personality', and 'be-related' instead of 'belated'. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over collocations and word forms. Expanding your vocabulary to include more idiomatic expressions or precise adjectives would help elevate your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'I would like to say you both my respectful hello', 'I can not be able to', and 'my cousin marriage is holding out of town'. These errors, particularly with verb forms and prepositions, are noticeable. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of modal verbs. While your meaning remains clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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