Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-10

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 glad that you have invited me for a surprise birthday party and this is a great idea to bring excitement in the birthday party and everyone will be shocked and have a great experience with memorable moments.

Moreover, Chris will enjoy the surprise party as he loves parties therefore, it is a surprise birthday party he will never expect that all of his friends will join party and give him gifts and best wishes. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the party because of my institute as I have an important exam on that day and I can not skip the exam. So I really want to join the party because of few circumstances I would not be able to attend the party.

Furthermore, it is essential to provide a plan details to see Chris at different time. So I can watch Chris after my exam also I can check things if something goes wrong.

Your faithfully,

Jeel Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

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 mentioned a plan to meet him later. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the plan to see Chris is vague; you mention 'checking things if something goes wrong' rather than proposing a specific time or activity to celebrate his birthday. To improve, ensure your ideas are more fully extended and relevant to the context of a birthday celebration.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'Unfortunately', and 'Furthermore' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel slightly forced. For example, the sentence 'So I can watch Chris after my exam also I can check things if something goes wrong' is disjointed and lacks clear logical progression. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for this task, allowing you to convey your message clearly. You use some appropriate phrases like 'memorable moments' and 'important exam'. However, there is a lack of variety and some imprecise word choices, such as 'watch Chris' (which sounds unnatural in this context) and 'provide a plan details'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more natural collocations and a wider range of vocabulary suited to a friendly letter, such as 'catch up with' or 'reschedule our celebration'.

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, such as 'this is a great idea to bring excitement in the birthday party' (should be 'to the party') and 'I can watch Chris after my exam also I can check things' (run-on sentence). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and capitalization errors, such as 'collins' (should be 'Collins'). Focusing on sentence boundaries and preposition usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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