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. Collins,

I hope you and you family are in good health and I am writing this letter to inform you that i won't be able to attend Chris surprise birthday party.

I am sure Chris will enjoy this party as she love to take surprises. As she is turning to 20, no doubt this makes her feel happy. I knew you will arrange big birthday surprise gift for her which she would love.

I have final year exams next month so i would not able to attend the party. Therefore, commuting to Australia seems not possible as i have to prepare for exams during this time.

However, i already planned to come to Australia in the month of December to celebrate Christmas Eve with Chris. I will come in the middle of the month for around 3 weeks till 1st week of January. This not only allows us to celebrate Christmas but also gives a chance to enjoy New Year together.

Hoping to see all of you soon!

Yours lovingly

Muskanpreet kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain why Chris would enjoy the party, provide a valid reason for your absence, and propose a concrete plan to meet later. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the explanation of why Chris would enjoy the party could be more descriptive. Additionally, you addressed the letter to 'Mr. Collins' only, despite the prompt specifying 'Mr and Mrs Collins'. Ensure you follow all instructions in the prompt carefully to fully satisfy the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, with each paragraph focusing on one of the required points. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Therefore', and 'This not only allows', which help the flow of ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the connection between sentences could be smoother. For example, the jump from the birthday party to your exam schedule is a bit abrupt. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You use a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'in good health' and 'celebrate Christmas Eve' are used correctly. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'she love to take surprises' (should be 'she loves surprises') and 'no doubt this makes her feel happy' (which is slightly unnatural). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary and idiomatic expressions suitable for a friendly letter.

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 several grammatical errors throughout the text. These include subject-verb agreement issues ('she love'), missing articles ('Chris surprise birthday party'), and capitalization errors ('i' instead of 'I'). Additionally, there are some tense inconsistencies and minor punctuation slips. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and capitalization.

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

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