Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-30

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 are doing well. I am extremely happy for your invitation for chris's birthday party celebration.

Chris always enjoyed the idea of getting surprises from his loved one. So, I deeply feel that he would be very much happy afterwards.

As you have mentioned in the letter, birthday celebration is decided to celebrate on Monday , next week at 12 pm. Unfortunately , my company has set up a meeting on next Monday . It is scheduled for the whole day.

I am sorry for this inconvenience. However, I have made few plans to meet him immediately . I will be home on next weekend . so , I am thinking about giving him surprises on that day. What do you think about my ideas ? If you guys are free, then I can make arrangements for the reservation.

I look forward to hearing from you soon. I hope that you guys will make it as a blast .

Best wishes ,

kee.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You explained why Chris would enjoy the surprise, provided a clear reason for your inability to attend, and proposed a specific alternative plan. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, although it leans slightly informal in places. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands your situation and your desire to celebrate with Chris at a later date. To reach a higher band, ensure that the tone remains consistently polite and formal enough for the recipients (Mr and Mrs Collins).

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 'However', 'So', and 'Unfortunately' to link your ideas. While the flow is generally clear, some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the paragraphing could be more distinct. The use of referencing (e.g., 'him', 'that day') is generally clear, though some sentences are slightly disjointed. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using words like 'inconvenience', 'arrangements', and 'reservation' correctly. However, there are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'getting surprises from his loved one' and 'make it as a blast'. These do not impede communication, but they limit the score. To improve, focus on more natural collocations and idiomatic expressions that fit the context of a social invitation. Your spelling is generally accurate, though 'chris' should be capitalized as a proper noun.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are frequent minor errors in grammar and punctuation. For example, 'birthday celebration is decided to celebrate on Monday' is awkward; 'is scheduled to take place' would be better. You also have inconsistent use of articles and prepositions, such as 'on next weekend' (should be 'next weekend') and 'giving him surprises' (should be 'giving him a surprise'). Punctuation errors, such as spaces before commas, are also present. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.