Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-29
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 Mr and Mrs Collins,
I hope you're doing well. I was absolutely delighted to look forward for a surprise birthday party for Chris. However, I won't be able to attend due to urgent workload at work.
Firstly, this surprise party for Chris will be best to celebrate his 15th birthday. I was glad to learn about his favourite games and activities that will be added for the event. On top of that, the musicians band will be invited to make this birthday enjoyable and more memorable. Chris is fond of rock music and I am sure he would enjoy this part of the event. I know you'll be excited to arrange this event in town hall. Unfortunately, I am sorry to say that I won't be able to attend because my manager has asked to stay longer for the two weeks to complete the pending work. Lastly, Please ask Chris when he will be free to meet next month particularly during the weekend. I would love taking him out for a dinner and spend some time with each other.
Once again, I am really sorry for not being able to attend his birthday party. Wish him a happy birthday!
warm regards,
Payal
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained why Chris would enjoy the party, provided a valid reason for your absence, and proposed a concrete plan to meet him later. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, maintaining a polite and respectful register throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the context of the surprise party. To reach a higher band, ensure that your opening sentence is more natural; 'look forward for' is slightly awkward in this context. Overall, the task is fully addressed with a clear purpose.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Firstly', 'On top of that', and 'Unfortunately', which help guide the reader through your ideas. However, the transition between the explanation of the party and your inability to attend is a bit abrupt. Additionally, the paragraphing could be improved; the final sentence of the second paragraph feels slightly disconnected from the rest of the content. Strengthening the links between sentences would improve the flow and coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using words like 'memorable', 'urgent', and 'pending'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'look forward for' should be 'look forward to', and 'musicians band' is redundant; 'a live band' would be more natural. You also use 'taking him out for a dinner', where 'taking him out to dinner' is the standard idiomatic expression. While these errors do not impede communication, refining your collocations will help you achieve a higher score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'I would love taking him out', which should be 'I would love to take him out', and 'stay longer for the two weeks', which is slightly unnatural. Punctuation is generally good, though there are minor issues with capitalization and phrasing, such as 'warm regards' needing a capital 'W'. Despite these occasional errors, your meaning is always clear, and the grammar does not hinder the reader's understanding of your message.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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