Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-01

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,

The intend of this correspondence is to discuss about the surprise birthday party of Chris. This is such an amazing idea and i am sure Chris will definitely like it.

As me and Chris are best friends since childhood so i know he likes surprises a lot. When i surprised him on his last birthday he became so happy. Moreover he loves his family and he will definitely love to spend some time with you.

I want to let you know that i cannot come to the party because on the same day i have my exam. i really wanted to join but i cannot miss my exam.

I already informed Chris that i have a party at my home just next day of his birthday so i am planning to give him surprise on next days with his favorite cuisine and some gifts. I hope he will like all the arrangements.

I really appreciate that you invited me and i apologies for not coming. I hope we will meet soon. Take good care of yourself.

Best wishes,

Simranjeet kour

AI examiner evaluation

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 alternative plan to meet him. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, maintaining a polite and friendly register throughout. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands your situation and your intentions. To reach a higher band, ensure that your opening statement is more natural; for instance, 'The intend of this correspondence' is overly formal and slightly inaccurate, which slightly detracts from the otherwise friendly tone of the letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose in line with the task requirements. You use basic cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'because' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by repetitive sentence structures and some mechanical transitions. For example, the transition 'I already informed Chris' could be improved with better linking words to show the relationship between your absence and your alternative plan. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat basic. Increasing the variety of linking phrases would help the text flow more naturally and improve the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully conveying your message. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, 'The intend of this correspondence' is incorrect (should be 'intention'), and 'give him surprise' is missing an article ('a surprise'). Additionally, 'next days' is an unnatural phrasing. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise vocabulary usage. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and ensuring that nouns and verbs are used in their correct forms within the context of informal correspondence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the accuracy of your writing. Common issues include capitalization errors (e.g., 'i' instead of 'I'), missing articles (e.g., 'on next days'), and awkward phrasing like 'discuss about' (discuss is transitive). While your meaning is always clear, the frequency of these minor errors prevents the text from reaching a higher band. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement, consistent capitalization, and the correct use of prepositions. Proofreading your work for these small but persistent slips will significantly enhance your grammatical accuracy.

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

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