Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Collins,

Hope you both are in pink of your health. I am very excited to hear that you are planning a surprise birthday party for Chris.

I think he will be very much overwhelmed to get such a surprise from you. He was in Australia for two years to complete his post graduation studies. This year, he is going to come back to his home country and will get a chance to spend his special day with you.

I am very regretful to inform that I have a business conference next week and it will be hosted by us. Therefore, I am not able to attend this celebration due to my responsibilities of the workplace.

I have a great plan to give him surprise as I will be coming to your city next month for one week. I heard there is a live concert of his favourite band and we will together spend quality time with each other.

Hope you will understand my situation. See you soon.

Yours Faithfully,

Gurpreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained why Chris would enjoy the surprise, provided a logical 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 friendly register throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the task requirements, ensuring the reader understands the situation clearly. No parts of the task were omitted, and the purpose of the letter is achieved effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the task, which helps the reader follow your narrative easily. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Therefore' and 'as', to link your ideas. However, the transition between the explanation of your absence and the plan to meet could be smoother. The use of paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the overall structure is coherent, making the message easy to follow from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases like 'in pink of your health' (though slightly idiomatic/unnatural in this context) and 'quality time' show an attempt to use varied language. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'overwhelmed' (which usually has a negative connotation; 'thrilled' or 'delighted' would be better) and 'give him surprise' (which should be 'give him a surprise'). Despite these minor slips, your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and effectively throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While most of your sentences are clear, there are some grammatical inaccuracies. For example, 'I am very regretful to inform that' should be 'I regret to inform you that', and 'we will together spend' is better phrased as 'we will spend time together'. Additionally, 'post graduation' should be hyphenated or written as 'postgraduate'. These errors do not impede communication, but they indicate a need for more careful proofreading regarding verb patterns and word order.

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

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