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 Parents,

I am elated to hear that you are planning to celebrate Chris's birthday party and she would be ecstatic to this grand party but i am not able to attend this party even though i want to unite you.

I know she will be shocked to see all the party set as you told me and she is not aware what are you planning for her special day. Party has held in outdoor hall near the beach which will make party more enjoyable and Punjabi renowned singer will perform.

My parents are coming in Canada for the first time on 21 October on the same day so i have to go to airport to pick up . They do not know to book uber to arrive home so that is why have to with my parents on that time.

I am planning to celebrate Christmas together this year .It would be great fun for us because i have 10 holidays from work so there will be no rush .

I hope this party bring a lot of happiness in the family and see you in december.

Lovingly,

Gurpreet

AI examiner evaluation

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 clear reason for your absence, and proposed an alternative meeting time. However, the tone is somewhat inconsistent for a letter to a friend's parents. While the content is relevant, the development of ideas is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing, such as 'unite you' instead of 'meet you'. To improve, ensure that your tone remains consistently polite and formal, as is appropriate when addressing parents of a friend. The purpose of the letter is clear, but the expression of ideas could be more natural to fully meet the requirements of a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, each addressing a specific part of the prompt. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For example, the transition 'that is why have to with my parents' is grammatically incomplete and disrupts the flow of the sentence. While the overall progression of ideas is clear, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the occasional misuse of referencing (e.g., 'she' used before introducing Chris properly in the context of the parents) makes the cohesion feel a bit disjointed. Improving the variety of transition signals would enhance the readability of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message, but there are several instances of unnatural word choice and collocation errors. Phrases like 'unite you' (instead of 'meet you'), 'party set' (instead of 'party arrangements'), and 'no rush' (instead of 'no time pressure') indicate a limited grasp of natural English collocations. While your meaning is generally clear, the vocabulary is somewhat basic and repetitive. To reach a higher band, you should focus on using more precise vocabulary and idiomatic expressions that are appropriate for a semi-formal letter, rather than relying on direct translations or overly simple phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

Your writing contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Issues include missing subjects ('have to with my parents'), incorrect verb tenses ('Party has held'), and article usage errors ('coming in Canada', 'go to airport'). While these errors do not completely prevent the reader from understanding your message, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement, the correct use of prepositions, and sentence construction. Focusing on proofreading for these common errors will help you achieve a higher level of accuracy.

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

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