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,
I am writing this letter to express my gratitude for inviting me on Chris's birthday party. It is going to be a great surprise for Chris as he would have never thought of this.
Firstly, Chris is turning 18 this year and next year is going abroad for further education so this might be his last birthday celebration at home. moreover Chris has scored really well in the exams so I think he should get a grand party.
However, I really appreciate that you invited me over for the party but unfortunately I would not be able to make it to that day. As you know that I moved to Canada last year for my further education my exams does happen on the different time than Australia. MoreoverI have some plans to come to Australia next month, So I will definitely come over to your home .
I hope you understand my situation and will pardon me this time and I am bringing Chris's favourite candies next month.
Best regards.
Kunal
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 explained why Chris would enjoy the party (turning 18, going abroad, academic success), stated why you cannot attend (exams in Canada), and proposed a plan to meet later. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, although it could be slightly more formal in its opening and closing. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented, fulfilling the requirements of the task effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each addressing a specific part of the prompt. You used some cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'moreover', and 'However' to link your ideas. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by minor punctuation issues and some slightly awkward transitions, such as 'MoreoverI'. The use of paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow throughout the letter.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'express my gratitude' and 'further education' are appropriate. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'on Chris's birthday party' (should be 'for') and 'exams does happen' (should be 'take place'). While you do not use a wide range of sophisticated or idiomatic language, the vocabulary used is sufficient to communicate your points without any ambiguity.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement ('exams does happen') and punctuation errors (missing spaces after periods, capitalization of 'collins'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede the overall meaning of your letter. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic punctuation and ensuring subject-verb agreement in complex sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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