Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-09

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 Mr. and Mrs. Collins,

I hope you both are living happy and healthy life. Firstly, I am thankful to get invitation from you on Chris 's birthday party.

Indeed, Not only Chris loves Thai food but also this restaurant offers free birthday celebration and forty percent off on dinning on the birthdays, so, we should select the Thai express restaurant for throwing the party. Also, we will gift him his favouirte sports shoes for his cricket match which he has been trying to purchase for last three months.

I could not attend the party because I have mid-term exam on 14 sept which is Chris's birthday date. Thus, I will meet with him after completing my exams.

I am planning to come to your home and give another gift for him as well as I will be there after four days of his birthday.

I am wishing him in advance happy birthday and also enjoy the party.

Thank you

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 reason for your absence, and proposed a plan to meet later. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the suggestion of a specific restaurant is a good detail, but the explanation for why you cannot attend is quite brief. To improve, ensure that your ideas are fully extended with more descriptive language. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, although it could be slightly more formal in its structure.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Indeed', and 'Also' to connect your thoughts. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical, and some transitions feel abrupt. For example, the jump from discussing the restaurant to the gift is a bit sudden. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus would enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using words like 'celebration', 'purchase', and 'invitation'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'living happy and healthy life' (should be 'a happy and healthy life') and 'dinning' (should be 'dining'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over common collocations. Expanding your vocabulary to include more varied adjectives and adverbs would help you achieve a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the 'not only... but also' construction. However, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing articles ('the' birthday party), incorrect verb forms ('I am thankful to get invitation'), and punctuation issues. Some sentences, like 'I am wishing him in advance happy birthday', are awkward. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles. While your meaning is clear, more attention to grammatical accuracy in complex sentences is needed.

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

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