Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-27

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)

Dear Sir/Ma,

I am writing this letter in regard to the invitation to a surprise birthday party for my friend Chris.

In all honesty, I believe Chris would appreciate the surprise party because he told me last month while we were talking that he wants this year birthday to be a special one. And that he would like a surprise gathering for him because he has never experience such before.

Unfortunately, I would not be available for the party due to my elder sister's wedding which falls on that same day. I know Chris would not be happy with me, but I believe when I explain the reason for my absence he would understand.

However, myself and our two other friends have a surprise for him as well two days after his birthday. But we do not want him to be aware of this because we want to give him exactly what he has been anticipating for all these years.

Thanks, I hope your son would have fun on his day.

Yours faithfully,

Sarah.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task effectively. You explained why Chris would enjoy the party, provided a clear reason for your absence (a family wedding), and outlined a plan to see him later. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents. To reach a higher band, ensure that the opening and closing salutations match the prompt requirements; you used 'Dear Sir/Ma' instead of the requested 'Dear Mr and Mrs Collins', which is a minor lapse in following instructions. However, the content is well-developed and relevant.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the task. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'In all honesty', 'Unfortunately', and 'However' to transition between ideas. While the flow is clear, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that the connection between sentences is smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure supports the reader's understanding of your message.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases like 'anticipating for all these years' and 'surprise gathering' are used correctly. However, there are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'never experience such before' (should be 'experienced') and 'this year birthday' (should be 'this year's birthday'). The vocabulary is functional but lacks the range of less common or more sophisticated items that would push the score into the 7.0+ range. Focus on using more precise collocations and checking for grammatical forms of words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'myself and our two other friends' (should be 'my two other friends and I') and 'he has never experience' (should be 'experienced'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of pronouns. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures while maintaining accuracy will help you achieve a higher band score in this criterion.

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

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