Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-11
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,
Hope you are doing well, I am writing this in response to the invitation letter you sent for surprise birthday party. It is thoughtful of you as recently Chris wanted to plan a rendezvous for all of our high school friends. As a result, he would really enjoy this surprise party where he would be able to meet all our friends together.
Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the party due to an unforeseen circumstances, I will be travelling to Toronto for my work seminar, it is crucial event as I would be representing our organization for our new product launch, as a result I am unable to adjust the dates. I am truly sorry to miss out on what promises to be a fantastic evening.
However, I am very keen to celebrate with Chris around the same time. I am planning to take Chris out for a birthday dinner early the following week, once I return from my trip. I will reach out to Chris directly after the party to arrange a night that works best.
I hope the party is a huge success, and I look forward to hearing all about it!
Warm Regard
Thomas
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 8.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 8.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| 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 proposed a concrete plan to meet him later. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, maintaining a polite and appreciative register throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the task requirements, ensuring the reader understands both your regret at missing the event and your enthusiasm for celebrating with Chris at a later date.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0
The letter is logically organized with clear paragraphing that separates the different requirements of the task. Each paragraph has a clear focus, and the progression of ideas is smooth. You have used a range of cohesive devices such as 'As a result', 'Unfortunately', and 'However' to link your sentences and ideas effectively. The referencing is clear, and the flow of the letter feels natural and easy to follow. The structure is well-managed, contributing to a coherent and professional piece of writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is well-suited to the context of the letter. Phrases like 'unforeseen circumstances', 'crucial event', and 'rendezvous' show an ability to use more sophisticated language. While the vocabulary is generally precise, there are minor areas for improvement in collocation, such as 'due to an unforeseen circumstances' (which should be 'due to unforeseen circumstances' or 'due to an unforeseen circumstance'). Overall, the lexical range is sufficient to convey your message with clarity and a touch of formality.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. There are some minor grammatical slips, such as the comma splice in the first sentence ('Hope you are doing well, I am writing...') and the article error mentioned previously. However, these errors are infrequent and do not impede communication. The majority of your sentences are clear and grammatically sound. To reach a higher band, ensure that you avoid comma splices by using periods or semicolons to separate independent clauses, and pay closer attention to article usage with countable nouns.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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