Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-24

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,

Hope you are doing well. I am glad to receive your letter and want to thank you for the invitation to Chris's surprise birthday party.

Chris loves surprise birthday parties. When we were in college, I used to throw a party every year in his birthday. I still remember the joy in his eyes, when he saw the cake with candles lit. We celebrated those parties by dancing all night. I believe, he will enjoy surprise party even now.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the party. I have to sit for my semester final exams that I can not miss. Because if I miss the exams then I have to retake the course.

However, I am planning to visit Australia during Christmas holiday. I think Chris will be free during the holiday period so it will be more enjoyable. Please don't tell Chris about my holiday plan. I want to surprise him.

Once again, thank you for inviting me. Hope to see you soon.

Yours truly

Jamil

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explained why Chris would enjoy the party by referencing past experiences, provided a logical reason for your absence (semester exams), and proposed a concrete plan to meet him during the Christmas holidays. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the context provided in the instructions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

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 narrative easily. You use cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Unfortunately', and 'Once again' to transition between ideas effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the referencing (e.g., 'him', 'those parties') is clear throughout the text. The flow is natural and contributes to a coherent overall message.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. Phrases like 'semester final exams' and 'holiday period' are used correctly. While the vocabulary is generally accurate, it is somewhat functional and lacks a wider variety of less common or more sophisticated lexical items that would push the score into the higher bands. There are no significant errors in word choice or spelling that impede communication, and the tone remains consistently polite and appropriate for the context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I still remember the joy in his eyes, when he saw the cake with candles lit.' There are a few minor grammatical slips, such as 'in his birthday' (should be 'on his birthday') and 'surprise party' (should be 'a surprise party'). However, these errors are infrequent and do not cause any confusion for the reader. Your control over punctuation and sentence construction is generally good, and the majority of your sentences are error-free.

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

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