Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-31

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,

I hope you are doing great.I got the letter from your side related to the surprise birthday party for Chris next week.I am really pleased with your planning for Chris.

He is my one of the close friend and i know he likes surprises even if smaller or bigger. You invited not only me but also his other friends too which really makes him feel special and happy. The theme of party is related to his favourite cartoon minion’s,when everyone getting dressed like it ,he will really feel overwhelmed.

I was really excited and eagerly waiting for his birthday but am not feeling well from last few days due to viral infection and weather conditions.I was hospitalized for two days as well which is really bad for me and my family. Due to this,my family is really worried about me and will not allowed me to join the party because it is a contagious illnesses.

With god’s sake, doctor said I will recover soon in next few weeks. I will meet him after and gave him that gift which I purchased for him.I will meet him on 7 September.

I really want to say thank you for inviting me.

Give him my warm wishes on his birthday.

Yours lovingly,

Ram.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain why Chris will enjoy the party, provide a valid reason for your absence, and propose a specific plan to meet him later. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the explanation of why Chris will enjoy the party could be more descriptive. Additionally, there are some minor inconsistencies in the narrative, such as mentioning you were hospitalized for two days but then stating you have been unwell for a few days, which slightly impacts the clarity of the message.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Due to this' and 'With god’s sake' (though the latter is an idiom error). However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical, and there are instances where the connection between ideas could be smoother. For example, the transition between the party details and your health issues is abrupt. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear focus would help elevate your score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'contagious', 'hospitalized', and 'overwhelmed'. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing or incorrect word choices, such as 'related to your side' instead of 'from you', and 'With god’s sake' which is not the correct idiomatic expression for this context. Additionally, there are some minor spelling errors, such as 'minion’s' (should be 'minions') and 'collins' (should be 'Collins'). Expanding your vocabulary to include more natural collocations would improve your performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you successfully communicate your meaning, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. These include subject-verb agreement issues ('he likes surprises even if smaller or bigger'), article usage ('The theme of party'), and tense inconsistencies ('when everyone getting dressed'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing after commas and periods. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they are frequent enough to limit your score. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage will be very beneficial.

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

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