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 COLLINS,
I HOPE YOU ARE DOING GREAT ! I WOULD IKE TO THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME ON CHRIS'S BIRTHDAY NEXT MONTH. I AM EXCITED THAT CHRIS IS GETTING SURPRISE PARTY ON HIS VERY PERCIOUS DAY.
I AM SURE THAT HE WILL BE HAPPY AFTER KNOWING THAT HIS CLOSE ONES ATTENDING ON HIS BIRTHDAY, AND IT IS VERY SPECIAL AS ITS 18TH BIRTHDAY. ADITIONALLY, CHRIS IS GETTING PERKS OF BEING TURNING INTO ADULTHOOD AFTERALL HE CAN DRIVE A CAR LEGALLY AND WELL ENTERNING TO REALITY.
UNFORTUNATELY, I AM UNABLE TO GIVE MY PRESENCE ON HIS BIRTHDAY BECAUSE OF MY UNIVERSITY STUDIES. AS I AM IN MY LAST SEMESTER THERE IS A LOT OF ASSIGNMENT WORK AND I HAVE TO STUDY HARD FOR MY EXAMINATION WHICH IS COMING UP IN TWO MONTHS. BUT I PLANNING SURPRISE TRIP TO AUSTRALIA FOR MY PARENTS ON THEIR 25TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY IN SUMMER NEXT YEAR. SO, I WILL DEFINITELY VISIT AT YOUR PLACE AND WE WILL ENJOY A LOT.
HOPE CHRIS WILL LIKE HIS SURPRISE BIRTHDAY AND HAVE A BLASTING PARTY.
BEST REGARDS,
PRASHANTI
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 successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You explained why Chris would enjoy the party, provided a clear reason for your inability to attend, and proposed a future visit. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, maintaining a friendly and polite 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 are fully integrated; for instance, the mention of your parents' anniversary trip is a good plan, but ensure the connection to seeing Chris is explicitly clear.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Unfortunately', and 'So' to link your ideas. However, the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that referencing is consistently clear. For example, the transition between your university studies and your future trip to Australia is a bit abrupt. Improving the use of cohesive devices would help the text move more smoothly from one point to the next.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using phrases like 'close ones', 'legally', and 'adulthood'. There are some spelling errors (e.g., 'PERCIOUS' instead of 'precious', 'ADITIONALLY' instead of 'Additionally', 'ENTERNING' instead of 'entering') and minor word choice issues, such as 'blasting party', which is not a standard collocation. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the text from reaching a higher band. Focusing on accurate spelling and more natural collocations will significantly enhance your lexical score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'I WOULD IKE TO' (spelling), 'CHRIS IS GETTING SURPRISE PARTY' (missing article), and 'I PLANNING' (missing auxiliary verb). There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and preposition usage. While the meaning remains clear, the frequency of these errors suggests a need for more careful proofreading. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring that articles and auxiliary verbs are correctly placed in your complex sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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