Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-17
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,
I am writing regarding Chris's surprise birthday party. The purpose of this letter is to thank you for inviting me and explain why I will not be able to attend, and I would like to provide some further details.
To begin with, I believe that Chris will really enjoy the surprise party because he loves spending time with his family and friends. I believe this information is particularly relevant and helps to explain the matter more clearly.
Furthermore, unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the party because I have an important university commitment on the same day. This is an important point to consider, and I hope it will be taken into account.
Finally, I would be happy to meet Chris the following weekend and celebrate his birthday together. I hope this information will be useful and lead to a satisfactory outcome.
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I would appreciate your understanding and look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Jay
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
The candidate has successfully covered all parts of the task prompt. The letter begins appropriately with the required salutation. It provides a clear explanation of why Chris will enjoy the surprise party, noting that he loves spending time with his family and friends. Additionally, it successfully explains the reason for non-attendance by citing an important university commitment on the same day. Finally, a concrete and practical plan is provided to see Chris the following weekend to celebrate his birthday together. All bullet points are fully addressed, although some of the phrasing leans slightly towards repetitive academic templates rather than natural personal correspondence. Nevertheless, the requirements for General Training Task 1 are met effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The letter exhibits a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information is grouped appropriately into paragraphs, with each addressing a distinct bullet point from the prompt. Cohesive devices are employed to structure the response, such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'Finally'. However, the use of these cohesive devices occasionally feels somewhat mechanical and overly formulaic for an informal or semi-formal letter to a friend's parents, such as 'The purpose of this letter is to thank you...'. Despite this slight stylistic stiffness, the overall paragraphing and referencing remain clear and easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The student demonstrates an adequate lexical range suitable for the task. Words and phrases such as 'surprise birthday party', 'commitment', and 'satisfactory outcome' are used accurately. However, the vocabulary is somewhat restricted and relies heavily on formal, functional transactional language rather than a natural range appropriate for writing to parents of a friend. There are no noticeable spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication, but the lack of less common or idiomatic lexical items keeps the score at a solid band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
The writer displays good control of grammatical structures, using a mix of simple and complex sentences effectively. Examples include 'I am writing regarding Chris's surprise birthday party' and 'I would be happy to meet Chris the following weekend and celebrate his birthday together.' Punctuation is accurate, and sentence boundaries are well managed. Although complex structures are attempted and successfully executed, there are very few errors, and communication is never impeded. The majority of sentences are error-free, warranting a comfortable band 7.0 for grammatical range and accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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