Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-14

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 this letter finds you well. Thank you so much for inviting me at Chris's surprise birthday party.

I defineitely know that chris would enjoy this party a lot because as a bestfriend of mine I know him better then anyone else. He is an extrovert person and really loves the finctions and parties. Apart from that make sure you will bring a chocolate cake instead of a different flavours.

Next week, on the day of party I have an exam for extra subject and this exam is located at a different city. So I would not be able come for party because of my exam. Hope you and chris will understand my situation this time.

I will make sure that whenever, I will be back from exam we both family will do the small get together at my place. And I want to keep this surprise for my best friend Chris.

Once again thank you and sorry for the any inconvenience.

Kind regards,

Yash

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully covers all three bullet points outlined in the prompt. You mentioned why Chris will enjoy the party, stating that he is an extrovert who loves functions and parties, and you even added a thoughtful detail about bringing a chocolate cake. You clearly explained why you cannot attend by mentioning your exam in a different city next week. Finally, you provided a concrete plan to see him at a different time by suggesting a small get-together at your place when you return. The tone is appropriately polite and friendly for a general letter. The purpose is fully communicated, and all requirements are met effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical structure with clear paragraphing, moving smoothly from the opening to the reason for writing, the inability to attend, alternative plans, and the sign-off. Cohesive devices are used adequately to connect ideas, such as 'Apart from that', 'Next week', and 'So'. However, some referencing is slightly clunky, for instance, 'we both family will do the small get together'. Overall progression is easy to follow, and the letter reads like a natural correspondence to a friend's parents.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a general letter, including phrases like 'extrovert person', 'surprise birthday party', and 'inconvenience'. However, there are some noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as writing 'inviting me at Chris's' instead of 'inviting me to', 'finctions' instead of 'functions', and 'bestfriend of mine I know him better then anyone else' with spelling and preposition slips. Despite these errors, communication is never impeded, and your meaning is always clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as conditional and multi-clause sentences ('I will make sure that whenever, I will be back from exam we both family will do the small get together'). There are several grammatical inaccuracies throughout the text, including punctuation errors (unnecessary commas), article omissions ('bring a chocolate cake instead of a different flavours'), and preposition choices. Nevertheless, these errors do not impede understanding, and the core message remains completely clear.

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

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