Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-08

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 are doing splendidly. I am very overwhelmed by the invitation that you sent me for my best friend's birthday party. I am writing this letter to inform you about something.

First of all, Chris would be really happy after getting the great surprise on his birthday. He always mentioned me that he love surprises. Moreover, the party theme is Spider man which is his favorite hero. Definitely, this birthday will memorable for him.

Additionally, I am very sad to tell you that i won't be able to join this amazing birthday party. My mother got kidney stone and my father is also not at home because of his work. So, i have to stay at home to take care of her.

Lastly, my father is coming next week from his work, so i can meet Chris at that moment. We can meet in Fusion restaurant in upcoming weekend.

Thank you again for your kind invitation and i hope you enjoy the party to fullest.

Best Wishes

jashan

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 plausible reason for your absence, and proposed a concrete plan to meet him later. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, maintaining a polite and respectful 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 and closing statements are slightly more natural; for instance, 'I am very overwhelmed' is usually used in a negative context, whereas 'I am delighted' would be more suitable for an invitation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Moreover', 'Additionally', and 'Lastly' to guide the reader through your points. While these are effective, they are somewhat mechanical. To improve, try to vary your transitions and use more sophisticated referencing. For example, instead of starting every paragraph with a transition word, you could use pronouns or synonyms to link ideas more fluidly. The overall progression of the letter is clear, and the information is easy to follow from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. You use some good descriptive phrases like 'splendidly' and 'memorable'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'He always mentioned me that he love surprises' (should be 'He has always told me that he loves surprises') and 'overwhelmed' (which implies being burdened rather than pleased). Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise collocations would enhance your score. Your spelling is generally accurate, and your word choice is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly to the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'He always mentioned me that he love surprises' (subject-verb agreement and verb choice) and 'My mother got kidney stone' (missing article 'a'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and capitalization issues, such as the lowercase 'i' used throughout the text. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles. Increasing your control over complex sentence structures will help you achieve a higher band score.

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

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