Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)
Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,
First of all, I would like to thank you for inviting me in the Chris's surprise birthday party. Since I know Chris loves surprises, it is best thing to organize a surprise birthday party for him. Moreover, I will suggests both of you to order his favorite cake which is chocolate truffle cake.
I know it is Chris's 20th birthday on this 20th August, however I won't be able to attend this birthday party as I have my final exams of my last semester which is going to be crucial for my graduation. I hope you will understand my situation and forgive me for not being a part of this great celebration. Since I will be not there, I will send a surprise gift for Chris via courier to your address. If you receive this gift before his birthday can you please make sure to hide from Chris and give it to him only on his birthday.
Although I wanted to be part of this surprise birthday party, I have to priorities my exams for now. However, I have planned to give a surprise visit to your home after my final exams and give a big surprise to Chris. I will share more details of that surprise visit in my next letter.
Can you please wish my friend Chris a very happy birthday, thank you in advance for everything.
Best Regards,
Harsh
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained why Chris would enjoy the surprise, provided a valid reason for your absence (final exams), and proposed a concrete plan to visit 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 to the task requirements. To reach a higher band, ensure that all minor grammatical slips do not distract from the clarity of your message, as the content itself is fully compliant with the task instructions.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your narrative easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Although', and 'However' to link your sentences. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as 'Since I will be not there', which disrupts the flow. Improving the variety and naturalness of your linking words would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. You use appropriate phrases like 'crucial for my graduation' and 'surprise visit'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'I will suggests' (should be 'suggest') and 'make sure to hide from Chris' (should be 'keep it hidden from Chris'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over verb forms and idiomatic expressions. Expanding your vocabulary to include more sophisticated collocations would help elevate your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'inviting me in the Chris's surprise' (should be 'to Chris's surprise'), 'I will suggests' (should be 'I would suggest'), and 'I have to priorities' (should be 'prioritize'). Additionally, the phrase 'Since I will be not there' is syntactically incorrect. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall accuracy of your writing. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct word order will lead to significant improvement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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