Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-09
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 am writing this in regards to let you know that i am not able to attend the birthday party
To begin with , it is a great idea of planning a surprise for chris as he love surprises a lot. I would like to give some ideas for organising the party as chris love gym a lot so we can make a theam decoration also a birthday cake with that theam he will be so excited so see it.
On the other hand , I am really sorry to tell you that i will not be able to attend the party because I have my exam book for that day . My exam is of french which is so important for me and i am not able to reschedule it for later time .
Moreover , I will be visiting Australia next month and I promise i will meet you . We will enjoy a lot together .
Look forward to hear from you
Your sincerely
Rajandeep
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You explained why Chris would enjoy the party, provided a reason for your absence, and proposed a plan to meet later. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, although it could be slightly more formal. The ideas are relevant, but the development is somewhat basic. For instance, the suggestion about the gym-themed party is a good idea, but it could be expanded upon to show more engagement with the task. Overall, the response is clear and fulfills the requirements of the task effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'On the other hand', and 'Moreover' to link your ideas. However, some of these transitions feel a bit mechanical or slightly misused in context. For example, 'On the other hand' is typically used to contrast two opposing ideas, whereas here it is used to introduce a new, unrelated point about your absence. Improving the variety and natural flow of your linking words would help elevate your score in this criterion.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. You use some topic-specific language like 'surprise party', 'reschedule', and 'decorations'. However, there are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'exam book' instead of 'exam' or 'study session', and 'theam' (spelling error for 'theme'). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary and ensure correct spelling. The vocabulary is sufficient for the task, but lacks the flexibility and sophistication required for higher bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text. These include issues with capitalization (e.g., 'i', 'chris', 'french'), subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'he love' instead of 'he loves'), and punctuation errors. Additionally, there are some awkward phrasings like 'I am writing this in regards to let you know'. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammar and punctuation will lead to immediate improvement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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