Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-19

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 7.0)

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Collins,

I just received your letter for the invitation of Chris's surprise birthday. Surprising Chris is a great plan, as I know how much Chris love surprises.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to make it to Australia for the party as I have my exams in the same week of his birthday. I cannot miss these exams as it contribute about 25% of my grade. I would have really love to surprise him and bring his favourite chocolates but it will not work out for me. However, I had prepared a birthday gift for him that he'll receive on his big day.

Since, Its been almost 2 years since we met, I was thinking if I can see Chris after my exams are done. I have two weeks off after my tests next month. It will be like a short vacation for me to see Australia. Additionally, I think weather in Australia is very beautiful in September.

Let me know if it works for you. Looking forward to your prompt reply.

Thanks,

Regards,

Sunaina Mittu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

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 (exams), and proposed a concrete plan to visit in September. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, maintaining a polite and friendly register throughout. The purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning, and the ideas are well-developed and relevant to the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific point, which helps the reader follow your narrative easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'However', and 'Additionally' to link your sentences and paragraphs effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter. To reach a higher band, you could vary your linking words slightly more to avoid a somewhat mechanical feel in the transition between the explanation of your absence and the proposed visit.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'prompt reply' and 'big day' are natural and appropriate for this context. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'invitation of' instead of 'invitation to' and 'contribute about' instead of 'contributes about'. While these do not impede communication, they prevent the use of vocabulary from being considered 'wide' or 'flexible' in a sophisticated way. Expanding your range of collocations would improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'Chris love surprises' should be 'Chris loves surprises', and 'Since, Its been' contains a punctuation error and a missing apostrophe ('It's'). Additionally, 'I would have really love' should be 'I would have really loved'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not cause difficulty for the reader. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and basic punctuation will help you achieve a higher band.

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

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