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,

Thank you so much for the invitation of Chris's surprise birthday party. As this is his 18th birthday party, I know how excited he is but I won't be able to be there with you all.

Chris is very excited about his birthday as he was telling me the other day. This surprise party will add fuel into his excitement. The unexpected celebration will create happiness for him that is for sure. Also, all of his friends will be there to celebrate that makes the day more special for him.

Unfortunately, I have an appointment for the citizenship test of my current country of residence. Otherwise, I would be there for his birthday. I have no option to change the date now so I won't be able to make it that day.

But, I will visit you all on coming saturday as I know he will be free that day and I will definitely compensate with him for his birthday.

thank you and regards,

Maunil

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explained why Chris would enjoy the party, 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 respectful register throughout. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands the situation clearly. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between the surprise element and Chris's personality is slightly more detailed, but overall, the task requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear structure. Each paragraph focuses on a specific point from the instructions, which aids readability. You have used some cohesive devices such as 'Also', 'Unfortunately', and 'Otherwise' to link your ideas. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the transition between sentences is smoother. For instance, the transition between the second and third paragraphs is a bit abrupt. Overall, the message is easy to follow, and the paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different topics.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'current country of residence' and 'compensate with him' show an attempt to use more formal language. However, there are some minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'add fuel into his excitement' (which is slightly unnatural) and 'compensate with him' (which is not the standard way to express making up for a missed event). Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise idiomatic expressions or collocations would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'invitation of Chris's surprise birthday party' (should be 'invitation to'), 'create happiness for him that is for sure' (a bit informal/clunky), and 'on coming saturday' (needs capitalization and 'the'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, though some sentences could be refined for better flow. The errors present do not impede communication, but they do indicate a need for more careful proofreading regarding prepositions and articles.

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

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