Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-17
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 well ! I am writing a letter to inform you that I won't be able to attend the surprise party of Chris as I have urgent meeting comes up and have to leave for US tomorrow morning due to some site issue.
Mr. and Mrs. Collin, I am pretty sure that Chris will enjoy a surprise birthday party of him. First of all, the arrangement that you did is up to the mark. All the arrangement as per his choice and will excite him a lot. The car that you have selected he wanted it for so long . I wanted to see his reaction when he will get his new car but I will miss you and him. Please wish him a very happy birthday !
Moreover, I will see Chris next time when I visit Surry. I am planning to visit Surry may be next month as I am visiting my aunt will see you then !
I am extremely sorry as I will not make this time but see you soon next moth !
Yours truly,
Krishna
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: explaining why Chris will enjoy the party, stating your inability to attend, and proposing a future meeting. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation regarding why Chris will enjoy the party is a bit repetitive, and the mention of the car is slightly confusing in the context of a birthday surprise. To improve, ensure your reasons are clearly articulated and logically connected to the context of the surprise party.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The letter is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. You use some cohesive devices like 'First of all,' 'Moreover,' and 'I am writing,' which provide a basic structure. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel abrupt. For example, the jump from discussing the car to saying 'I will miss you and him' lacks a smooth connection. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your message effectively. Phrases like 'up to the mark' and 'urgent meeting' are used correctly. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'surprise birthday party of him' (should be 'for him') and 'make this time' (should be 'make it'). You rely on fairly simple vocabulary; incorporating more precise or descriptive language would help elevate your score. For example, instead of 'the arrangement that you did,' you could use 'the preparations you have made.'
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and prepositions. Examples include 'urgent meeting comes up' (should be 'has come up'), 'next moth' (spelling error), and 'visiting my aunt will see you then' (run-on sentence). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with unnecessary spaces before exclamation marks. To reach a higher band, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and refining your use of complex sentence structures to reduce these recurring errors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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