Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Task-1

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

I hope you are doing well, thank you for the invitation to Chris's birthday party. I am glad that you thought of me on this special occassion. I have known Chris since kindergarden, and well aware of his excitement for birthday parties. I believe Chris would be thrilled with your surprise.

Unfortunately, I would not be able to attend this occassion as I am attending my sister's graduation in new-york on the same day. Given the current situation, I would make a video for Chris which can be display on the day of his birthday.

However, I am planning to come meet Chris on holidays. I remember going to each other's home every christmas for gift giving and christmas eve dinner. Chris will be on cloud nine when he sees me there for holidays.

Again, thank you for your invitation, hoping to see you guyz soon.

Regards,

Mahima.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain why Chris would enjoy the surprise, provide a valid reason for your absence (the sister's graduation), and propose a specific alternative plan to meet during the holidays. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, maintaining a polite and appreciative register throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the context provided. To reach a higher band, ensure that all details are fully expanded; for instance, you could have specified which holiday or provided a slightly more detailed plan for the meeting to further enhance the task response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the task, which helps the reader follow your message easily. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'However', and 'Again' to transition between ideas. While the structure is sound, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat standard. To improve, you could incorporate a wider variety of linking words and ensure that referencing (e.g., 'the same day', 'there') is always precise to improve the flow between sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'thrilled', 'special occasion', and 'cloud nine'. However, there are some spelling errors, such as 'occassion' (occasion), 'kindergarden' (kindergarten), and 'new-york' (New York). Additionally, the use of 'guyz' is too informal for this type of correspondence. To improve, focus on accuracy in spelling and avoid slang or informal abbreviations. Using more precise collocations would also help elevate your score; for example, instead of 'make a video', you could use 'record a video message'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional 'if' or 'when' clauses. There are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'I would not be able to attend' (should be 'will not be able to') and 'which can be display' (should be 'displayed'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are minor errors with capitalization, such as 'christmas' and 'new-york'. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading to ensure consistent control over complex structures and standard English conventions.

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

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