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)
Dr Mr and Mrs Collins,
First of all, I would like to thank you for inviting me to Chris's birthday party. But unfortunately I will not be able to attend it due to some official work at job.
As I know Chris from childhood, I am sure that he will be very happy from the surprise party. As a fun loving person, he will really enjoy meeting all his friends and relatives in the party. I am quite sad that i will not be able to meet him during his special day, cause I have to go to the states to complete a task from work.
Although, I would not be able to attend the event. But I will surely plan to visit him next month. As during our last talk, he told me he is going to visit canada for an event. We will celebrate it together here at some fine dine restaurant.
Once again thank you for inviting me. I will be waiting for the pictures from the event.
Yours Faithfully,
Malav shah
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explained why Chris would enjoy the party, provided a reason for your absence, and proposed a future meeting. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, although the closing 'Yours Faithfully' is slightly formal for this context; 'Best regards' or 'Sincerely' would be more natural. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands your situation and your desire to connect with Chris later. The response is fully functional and meets the requirements of the task effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the task. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Although', and 'Once again' to link your ideas. However, the paragraphing is slightly inconsistent, and some transitions are a bit mechanical. For instance, starting a sentence with 'Although' followed by a separate sentence starting with 'But' creates a fragmented structure. Improving the flow between these sentences would enhance the overall coherence. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the letter.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'fun loving', 'special day', and 'fine dine restaurant'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'official work at job' (redundant) and 'happy from the surprise party' (should be 'happy about'). Additionally, 'the states' should be capitalized as 'the States' or 'the United States'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the variety and precision required for a higher band score. Expanding your range of collocations would help elevate your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I would not be able to attend' (should be 'I will not be able to attend' to match the future context) and the misuse of 'cause' instead of 'because'. Punctuation errors, such as the lowercase 'i' and the incorrect use of 'Dr' instead of 'Dear' in the salutation, are also present. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage will improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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