Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-15
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)
Mr Collins,
Unfortunately I'm unable to attend Chris birthday party due to some issues in my own family. I remembered how we both of us planned the whole party. However, I wished to be there with all of you, celebrating and organizing his birthday party.
I remembered how we talked about the paty, I recommend oraganizing party in yard near the tree, because he always mentioned about that particular tree. Moreover, he loves eating sweets . I would also suggest calling magician as he was very much found of magic and tricks.
I wanted to be there but recently my mother got injured. She is hospitalized and she is unable to stand and walk. Thats why I'm looking after my younger sister. Most of the time I'm busy doing households works.
I would suggest meeting Chris at another time after a week, when my mother will be discharged from hospital. I'm very sorry for not being there I hope you will understand and accept my apologise.
Best wishes,
Nimrat Singh
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. First, the writer explains why Chris will enjoy the party by suggesting organizing it in the yard near a special tree, mentioning his love for sweets, and proposing a magician. Second, the reason for not attending is clearly stated, as the writer's mother is hospitalized. Third, a concrete plan to see Chris at a different time after a week is provided. The tone is mostly appropriate for a letter to friends of a friend, though the salutation 'Mr Collins' misses 'Mrs'. Overall, all parts of the prompt are addressed adequately, placing this comfortably at Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter has a clear overall arrangement with distinct paragraph breaks separating different topics, such as party ideas, the reason for absence, and the rescheduling plan. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or faulty. For instance, the transition between sentences feels abrupt, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as shifting pronouns without full clarity ('we both of us planned'). Paragraphing is present and helps structure the letter, but cohesive devices are not always used flexibly. This corresponds to a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating everyday ideas and feelings. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary and task-specific phrases like 'hospitalized', 'discharged', and 'organizing party'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'households works' instead of 'household chores', 'found of magic' instead of 'fond of magic', and 'apologise' used as a noun instead of 'apologies'. Spelling and word formation errors occasionally occur, placing the response at a Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and subordinate structures like 'when my mother will be discharged'. However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing throughout, such as 'we both of us planned', 'I wished to be there' instead of 'I wish I could be there', and tense inconsistencies. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors are frequent, they rarely impede overall communication. This performance aligns well with the Band 5.5 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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