Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-26

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,

Hopefully, you both are in a great spirit! I am writing this to apologize that you are organizing surprise party for Chris's 25th birthday and invited me but I would not make it.

I am thinking Chris is overwhelming as his birthday location is one of his favorite coffee shop " CHOCOLATE ROOM" and 25th birthday is so special for him because you invited your family and his best friends.

I am really apologizing that I won't be able to come to that party as I have work priorities and going to London for my urgent meeting during that week but I have plan to see Chris in another day on next weekend. I am planning to stay with him for entire weekend as well as do special for him, going for blowing. Moreover, I booked golf because he extremely like this sport.

Sorry for that.

Thank you for inviting me on his special occasion. Enjoy his party with him and your family.

Regards,

Honey

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 proposed an alternative plan to meet him. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the explanation of why you cannot attend is quite brief, and the description of the alternative plan is slightly disjointed. To improve, ensure that your ideas are fully expanded with more natural phrasing to better convey your message to the recipients.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'However,' but some transitions feel a bit mechanical or forced. The logical flow between sentences is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as in the second paragraph where the connection between the location and the birthday being special is not entirely clear. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each sentence flows naturally into the next will help you achieve a higher band score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, such as 'priorities' and 'occasion.' However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and unnatural collocations. For example, 'in a great spirit' is not a standard English idiom; 'in good spirits' would be more accurate. Additionally, 'doing special for him' and 'going for blowing' (likely meaning bowling) are unclear and grammatically incorrect. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and ensuring that your word choices are appropriate for the context of a friendly letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is good. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally impede clarity. For instance, 'I am thinking Chris is overwhelming' is grammatically incorrect and confusing. There are also issues with article usage ('in another day') and verb tense consistency. While your meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions to improve your accuracy.

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

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