Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-07
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 Uncle and Aunty ,
I hope you and chris are in good health. I have received your Invitation letter of your son
chris surprise birthday party. I am grateful that you have invited me to that party. Unforunately , I am unable to attend this party.
In your letter , I have gottten that you have arranged party in prominent restaurant of Australia in your town. There are many arrangement has completed and also few are
remain for his surprise birthday party. I would definitely like to attend this party , but there has been uncertain tasks and meetings came in our company so I must be present in my job place.
I would be grateful you have sent me invitation for my friend surprise birthday party. But
on this date I am not able to attend the party. My best wishes are always there for chris.
In my holidays, I would like to visit the chris as soon as possible and spend quality time
with him.
I hope you understand my situation . I am looking forward to visiting you and chris as soon as possible.
Yours faithfully,
Nikita Patel
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You explained why Chris would enjoy the party, provided a reason for your absence, and suggested a plan to meet him later. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of why Chris would enjoy the party is missing; you mention the venue, but you do not explain why the surprise itself would be enjoyable for him. Additionally, the tone is slightly inconsistent for a letter to a friend's parents, as the phrasing is occasionally repetitive and lacks a natural, warm flow.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. You use some basic cohesive devices like 'However' and 'In my holidays', but the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the invitation acknowledgement and the refusal is abrupt. The use of referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'I have gottten that you have arranged party', which lacks a clear connection to the previous sentence. Improving the variety of linking words would help the letter feel more cohesive and natural.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message, but it is somewhat basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'I have gottten' and 'job place' are not natural collocations in English. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'Invitation letter of your son chris surprise birthday party', which is grammatically awkward. To reach a higher band, try to use more precise vocabulary related to social invitations and professional commitments, and ensure you use standard collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'There are many arrangement has completed' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'I would like to visit the chris' (incorrect use of the definite article). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas and the capitalization of 'chris'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they are frequent enough to limit the score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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