Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

Hopefully, you guys are in great spirit!. Thank you for inviting me to Chris's birthday surprise party. I am sure that Chris would love this party. As he mentioned several times that he always wants to celebrate his birthday with everyone together, so I think it will be truly memorable moment for him.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to make it there, because I have to go to Vancouver for an important work commitment. I am really disappointed to miss the celebration, especially as I know how much effort you are putting to organizing it.

However, I would love to see Chris shortly afterwards. I am planning to return on the following Tuesday, so perhaps I could take him out for dinner that evening. I could meet him at his favorite Italian restaurant around 7 p.m. and give him his birthday present then. Please do not tell him about this plan, as I would like it to be another small surprise.

I hope you all have a wonderful celebration, and please give Chris my best wishes.

Kind regards,

Arsh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explain why Chris will enjoy the party, provide a valid reason for your absence, and offer 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 well-developed and relevant, ensuring the reader understands the situation and your intentions. No parts of the task were omitted, and the purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which makes the structure easy to follow. You use appropriate cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'However', and 'As', which help link your sentences and paragraphs smoothly. The use of paragraphing is effective, and the overall flow of the letter is natural and coherent. The transition between the apology for missing the party and the proposal for a future meeting is handled well.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for the context of a personal letter. Phrases like 'important work commitment', 'truly memorable moment', and 'give him his birthday present' are used accurately. While the vocabulary is functional and clear, it could be slightly more sophisticated to reach the highest bands. There are no significant errors in word choice or collocation that impede meaning. The tone is consistently friendly and polite, which is essential for this type of task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response shows a good command of grammatical structures. You use a mix of simple and complex sentences effectively. There are a few minor slips, such as 'Hopefully, you guys are in great spirit!' (should be 'spirits') and 'putting to organizing' (should be 'putting into organizing'). However, these errors are infrequent and do not interfere with communication. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and sentence construction is generally strong throughout the letter.

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

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