Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

How are you? I hope you're doing well. I'm writing because I'm really glad for my best friends b-day is on the way but unfortunately i wont able to come.

By the way I'm damn sure he gonna love your surprise bday celebration cause he loves on time surprises. On top of that, when chris will come to know that this party is organized by you guys he will definately cheers to the moon as he admires you so much.

Sadly I won't able to join you guys because im going on honeymoon to bali. Me and my wife had arranged this trip shortly after our marriage.

However, I'm visiting Sydney probably next month for my companys business meeting. I will make sure to find some time out to have an awesome dinner with chris as well as with you guys. Give my regards to chris and take care.

Best wishes,

Ashnoor

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You explain why Chris will enjoy the party, provide a clear reason for your absence, and propose a concrete plan to meet him later. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, although it leans towards being overly informal in places (e.g., 'damn sure', 'you guys'). To reach a higher band, ensure that the tone remains consistently polite and respectful when addressing parents, even if you are close to the family. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, successfully fulfilling the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph addressing a specific requirement of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices such as 'On top of that', 'However', and 'By the way' to link your ideas. However, the paragraphing is somewhat inconsistent, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus to enhance the overall progression of your message.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using phrases like 'admire you so much' and 'arranged this trip'. However, there is a reliance on informal, colloquial language such as 'damn sure', 'gonna', and 'you guys', which is slightly inappropriate for a letter to parents. Additionally, there are some minor errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'b-day' and 'definately'. To achieve a higher score, aim for a more formal and precise vocabulary, avoiding slang and ensuring accurate spelling throughout your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'I wont able to come' (missing 'be'), 'when chris will come' (incorrect tense usage), and 'Me and my wife' (subject pronoun error). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of apostrophes in contractions like 'companys' and 'wont'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of auxiliary verbs to improve your accuracy.

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

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