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,

Hope you're doing great! Thank you for your invitations for a surprise birthday party for my childhood friend Chris, who has been living in Australia for last two dacades.

Guess what? Surprises means a lot for her, as I know her well since our childhood. If we plan her birthday party without letting her know, then she will be more happier. Because she always enjoys a lot that moments when anyone give her surprise either for any parties or gifts.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to come on her birthday party, which is going to be held on next month September 1st. Because this is my final term exams time, and I need a full concentration to get higher grades, which are necessary to attain a white collar job along with basic skills.

I'm so excited for your birthday party, but I can meet you next time. You know in December my marriage date is fixed, so it would be the best time to meet with you, uncle and aunt. Hope you would definitely attend it. See you soon all!

Take care,

Manisha

AI examiner evaluation

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 surprise, provided a reason for your absence, and suggested an alternative time to meet. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, though it occasionally slips into overly informal territory. The ideas are relevant and clearly stated. To reach a higher band, ensure that your explanations are slightly more developed; for instance, the reason for your absence could be linked more naturally to the invitation to show more consideration for the hosts.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized into paragraphs, each focusing on a specific requirement of the task. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Unfortunately' and 'Because', to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical. For example, the transition between the surprise party and your exam schedule could be smoother. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as 'that moments' and 'it would be the best time'. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring clear pronoun references would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'childhood friend' and 'final term exams'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and minor errors, such as 'more happier' (a double comparative), 'white collar job', and 'my marriage date is fixed'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your expression. To improve, focus on using more natural collocations and avoiding redundant phrasing. Expanding your range to include more sophisticated vocabulary would help you move into a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'Surprises means' (subject-verb agreement), 'for last two dacades' (missing article), and 'give her surprise' (missing article). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some issues with sentence boundaries and comma usage. While these errors rarely impede the reader's understanding, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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