Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-05

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 guys are doing well. First of all, I want to thank you for inviting me to Chris’s birthday party. I talked with Chris on phone last week and he was very sad and lonely at his college apartment. So it would mean alot for Chris to see his friends and family all together. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to come to this party due to my final exams. Next week my final exams are happening and I can’t postpone it. Otherwise I won’t be able to graduate the coming semester.

On the other hand, I talk with Chris other friend Robin and made plans with her to visit Chris next month. Robin and me planned whole 5 days trip to many different places and also we are planning to surprise him with a belated birthday cake. So please don’t tell him the plan and ruin his surprise.

Again, Thanks for the invitation. Hoping to see you next month.

King regards

Shubhkaran singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You clearly explained why Chris would enjoy the party, provided a valid reason for your absence due to exams, and outlined a concrete plan to visit him later. The tone is 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 intentions regarding the future visit. To reach a higher band, ensure that all parts of the prompt are addressed with a consistent level of formality suitable for the relationship described.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'First of all', 'Unfortunately', and 'On the other hand', which help the reader follow your train of thought. However, the flow between some sentences is slightly mechanical. For instance, the transition between the reason for your absence and the mention of your exams could be smoother. Additionally, the use of referencing is generally clear, though some minor improvements in sentence linking would enhance the overall readability and cohesion of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. You use some appropriate phrases like 'sad and lonely' and 'belated birthday cake'. However, there are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'I talk with Chris other friend' (should be 'I talked with Chris's other friend') and 'King regards' (a typo for 'Kind regards'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading and a wider variety of precise vocabulary to reach a higher band level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'I talk with' (tense inconsistency), 'Robin and me planned' (should be 'Robin and I'), and 'I can’t postpone it' (referring to 'exams' which is plural). There are also minor punctuation issues, such as missing possessive apostrophes. Despite these errors, your grammar is generally functional and does not cause difficulty for the reader. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of pronouns in compound subjects.

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.