Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-23

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,

I hope you guys are doing good. Its been a while since we had a conversation last time. Thanks for invitation of Chris birthday party unfortunately I couldn't make it.

Chirs is one of my best friends so I am aware of his likes and dislikes. There are few things we can do to make event more memorable. Firstly, we could host the party on Everest restaurant which is located in Ottawa because he loves Nepali cuisine. Similarly, decorating his room with white and yellow flowers because its his favorite.

By the time of celebration I am travelling to Kathmandu because of my business meeting and I will spend almost six days, but I will to send some gifts to him through Canada post.

Most probably I will see him on August at Durham college graduation event. If not I will come to visit him next year at your home Australia.

Regards,

keshav

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You explained why Chris would enjoy the party, provided a reason for your absence, and suggested a future meeting. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, your suggestions for the party (the restaurant and flowers) are presented as your own ideas rather than explaining why Chris would enjoy the surprise party itself, which was the specific prompt requirement. To improve, ensure your ideas directly answer the prompt's specific questions. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, though it leans slightly informal.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. You use some basic cohesive devices like 'Firstly' and 'Similarly' to connect ideas. However, the transitions between sentences are sometimes abrupt, and the flow is occasionally hindered by grammatical errors. For example, the jump from the invitation to the party suggestions feels a bit sudden. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus that connects smoothly to the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your message clearly. You use some topic-specific vocabulary such as 'cuisine', 'memorable', and 'graduation event'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'Thanks for invitation of Chris birthday party' (should be 'Thanks for the invitation to Chris's birthday party') and 'I will to send' (a grammatical error affecting lexical flow). To improve, work on using more precise collocations and ensure you are using the correct prepositions with your nouns and verbs.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'Its been a while' (missing apostrophe), 'host the party on Everest restaurant' (incorrect preposition), and 'I will spend almost six days' (unclear context). Additionally, there are issues with subject-verb agreement and missing articles throughout the text. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic errors like missing articles ('the', 'a') and ensure your verb tenses are consistent when discussing future plans.

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

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