Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

I hope this letter finds you both doing well and having an wonderful week. I have received the letter of invitation for the upcoming surprise birthday party for Chris.

First of all I want to thank both of you for inviting me at the birthday party. I think this is an incredible opportunity to surprise Chris and give him a wonderful memory for the life time. As Chris has a tendency to love surprises, I think he will definitely love the party this time.

Unfortunately, I have to pass it this time as I have semester final exams scheduled at the exact same time of Chris"s birthday. I am sorry to say no and miss this incredible event. Even though I have to miss this event for my upcoming exams but I am happy to say that I will meet you including Chris after my exams, probably first week of December. I really wish you guys have a wonderful birthday party together. See you guys soon.

Yours,

Shariar Hossain

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain why Chris will enjoy the surprise, provide a valid reason for your absence (exams), and propose a concrete plan to meet later. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, maintaining a polite and friendly register throughout. The purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning, and the ideas are developed sufficiently to meet the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used to separate the different points of the task, which helps the reader follow your ideas easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Unfortunately', and 'Even though', which help to connect your sentences. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to transition between the explanation of your absence and the proposed plan for meeting, as the current structure is slightly mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases like 'incredible opportunity' and 'wonderful memory' are used effectively. There are some minor collocation issues, such as 'inviting me at the birthday party' (should be 'to') and 'for the life time' (should be 'for a lifetime'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the more sophisticated or idiomatic expressions that would elevate the response to a higher band. The word choice is generally accurate and appropriate for the context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While most of your meaning is clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'an wonderful week' (should be 'a'), 'pass it this time' (should be 'pass on it' or 'decline'), and 'meet you including Chris' (which is slightly awkward phrasing). Punctuation is generally fine, though there is a minor error with the quotation mark in 'Chris"s'. Despite these errors, the grammar does not impede communication, and you show a good grasp of basic sentence construction.

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

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