Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-14

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 7.0)

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

Firstly, I would like to thank you for inviting me to your house for chris's surprise party. Chris will be at cloud nine when he will get a surprise from everyone. He loves mysterious gifts and gathering, more than anything else.

However, I will not be able to make it for the party due to my family obligations. My mother is not feeling well from the past few days and as the party is on 19th July, which is in next 3 days, it is very necessary for me to remain at home for my mother.

Nevertheless, after the current week, I would like to plan a visit at your house with some gifts for my friend Chris. Let me know about a certain date of the week on which our both family can get together and enjoy the rest of the day.

I am really sorry for my upcoming absence in chris's surprise party.

Regards,

Sam Wilson

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain why Chris will enjoy the surprise, provide a valid reason for your absence, and propose a concrete plan to meet him later. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, maintaining a polite and respectful register throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, ensuring the reader understands the situation clearly. To reach a higher band, ensure that all parts of the prompt are addressed with equal depth; for instance, the plan to meet could be slightly more specific regarding the proposed activities or timing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the task. You use transition words such as 'Firstly', 'However', and 'Nevertheless' to guide the reader through your ideas. The progression of information is clear and easy to follow. While the structure is sound, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat standard. To improve, you could experiment with a wider variety of linking phrases to create a more sophisticated flow between sentences, ensuring that the connection between your family obligations and the proposed future visit feels even more seamless.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using expressions like 'cloud nine' and 'family obligations' effectively. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'from the past few days' (should be 'for the past few days') and 'our both family' (should be 'both our families'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precision. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and ensuring that pluralization and preposition usage are accurate in 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 'when he will get a surprise' (should be 'when he gets a surprise') and 'in next 3 days' (should be 'in the next 3 days'). Additionally, there are some punctuation and capitalization issues, such as the lowercase 'c' in 'chris's'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. To reach a higher band, focus on consistent subject-verb agreement and refining your use of articles and verb tenses in future-oriented sentences.

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

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