Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)
Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,
I hope you are doing well. Thank you so much for inviting me to Chris's surprise birthday party. I am sure he will really enjoy it because he loves spending time with friends. I think he will also be very happy to see everyone together to celebrate his birthday.
Unfortunately, i am not able to attend the party because i have an important university exam on the same date. I have been preparing for it for the past few weeks and i can not miss it. I am very sorry that i will miss the celebration but i hope you can understand my situation.
However, I would still like to celebrate with chris at another time. I am planning to meet him upcoming weekend for lunch at his favorite restaurant. I will also bring him a birthday present and spend time with him. Please do not tell him about this plan because i would like to keep this as a surprise.
I hope this party goes well and Chris has a wonderful birthday. Please give him my best wishes.
Your best,
Moo
pleasent
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0
You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained why Chris would enjoy the party, provided a valid reason for your absence, and outlined a concrete plan to meet him later. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, maintaining a polite and friendly register throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the task requirements. No information is missing, and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning. You have maintained a consistent focus on the task throughout the response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0
The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your message easily. You use appropriate cohesive devices such as 'However', 'because', and 'also' to link your sentences and ideas. The paragraphing is logical and contributes to the overall clarity of the letter. The transition between the explanation of your absence and the alternative plan is smooth and natural. The structure is effective and supports the overall purpose of the communication.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. You use common phrases effectively, such as 'celebrate his birthday' and 'important university exam'. While the vocabulary is generally accurate, it is somewhat functional and lacks a wider variety of less common or more sophisticated lexical items. There are a few minor errors, such as the closing 'Your best' (which should be 'Yours best' or 'Best wishes') and the stray word 'pleasent' at the end. However, these do not impede communication and the message remains clear throughout.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most of your sentences are clear and grammatically sound. However, there are some recurring errors, particularly with capitalization, such as the lowercase 'i' used throughout the text. Additionally, there are minor missing articles, such as 'meet him [the] upcoming weekend'. Despite these slips, your grammar is generally accurate, and the errors do not cause any difficulty for the reader. You have good control over basic sentence construction.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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