Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-15

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. Singh,

I hope you are in great health. Thank you for inventing me on my best buddies special day, but regreatfully I am informing you that I am not able to attend Chris surprise birthday party.

I know, this birthday going to be very special for Chris and he defenitily love this it. From last two years he is away for his studies and celeberate birthdays virtualy. I talked with him yesterday and he had no clue about this surprise.

I would love to come and join this party, but I have to go to on my cousin's wedding on the same day. Its a family funtion and my presence means alot for my brother. If I missed it, my cousin will feel bad. So, I have to attend his special endevor.

I promise I will come to Australia next month only to catch up with cheris and spend some time with you both. Also, I want to explore Sydney with him and make memories like we were made while we were in Canada for studies.

I hope you understand my situation and forgive me this time. I will meet soon.

Regards,

Kamal

AI examiner evaluation

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 surprise, provided a valid reason for your absence, and proposed a concrete plan to meet him later. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, maintaining a polite and friendly register throughout. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands your situation and your intentions. To reach a higher band, ensure that all details, such as the names provided in the prompt (Mr. and Mrs. Collins), are used consistently, as you addressed the letter to Mr. and Mrs. Singh instead.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each point, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which helps the reader follow your train of thought. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Also' and 'So', though the flow could be improved with a wider variety of linking words. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter. While the progression of ideas is generally clear, some transitions between sentences feel slightly mechanical. Overall, the structure is sound and supports the message effectively.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'inventing' (inviting), 'regreatfully' (regretfully), 'defenitily' (definitely), and 'celeberate' (celebrate). These errors are noticeable but do not impede the reader's understanding of the content. You attempt to use some descriptive language, such as 'make memories' and 'special endevor', which adds a personal touch to the letter. To improve, focus on proofreading for common spelling mistakes and try to incorporate more precise collocations to enhance the sophistication of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'From last two years he is away' (should be 'For the last two years, he has been away') and 'like we were made' (should be 'like we made'). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are minor issues with apostrophes and commas. While these errors are frequent, they rarely impede communication. To move to a higher band, focus on consistent verb tense usage, particularly when discussing past experiences and future plans, and work on refining complex sentence structures to ensure they are error-free.

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

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