Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-13
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 6.0)
Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,
How are you both doing ? I received the invitation for Chris's surprise birthday party. I am extremely delighted to hear this news . He is the luckiest person to get the parents like you. I am quite sure , he will be astonished to see this surprise and all his loved ones together to celebrate his birthday party as he is very fond of surprises.
Unfortunately, I won't be able to join you on his special day because of my mother's health. She is not doing well so I want to stay with her to fulfill her needs and to take care of her.
Guess what? I will be there next month on his convocation day to surprise him and I cannot wait to eat the delicious homemade food .Now ,I have to go .
See you next month!
Your truly,
Roop
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The letter covers all three bullet points: explaining why Chris will enjoy the party, stating the reason for your absence, and proposing an alternative meeting. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which impacts the overall task completion. While the ideas are relevant and the tone is appropriate for a letter to friends of a friend, the development of the ideas is somewhat brief. To reach a higher band, ensure that each bullet point is expanded with more descriptive detail to comfortably exceed the word count and provide a more thorough response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, with each paragraph focusing on one of the required points. There is a clear progression of ideas from the opening to the closing. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and occasionally mechanical. For example, the transition 'Guess what?' is a bit informal and abrupt. Using a wider variety of linking words or phrases to connect sentences and ideas more fluidly would improve the flow and coherence of the letter.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, allowing the message to be conveyed clearly. You use some appropriate phrases like 'extremely delighted' and 'special day'. However, there are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'get the parents like you' (should be 'have parents like you') and 'convocation day' (which is less common in this context than 'graduation'). To improve, try to incorporate more natural collocations and a slightly wider range of vocabulary to express your thoughts with more precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'I received the invitation for Chris's surprise birthday party' (which is fine, but followed by 'get the parents like you'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before question marks and periods. To achieve a higher band, focus on reducing these small errors and ensuring that your punctuation follows standard conventions. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will also help.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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