Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-18

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,

Hope you are doing well. I received your invitation for Chris's surprise birthday party which is next week. Firstly I want to say that he is a lucky guy that his parents are organising a surprise party for his birthday. He will love it and this surprise will make his birthday a memorable one. Additionally you already know that Chris in a party animal. He enjoy such parties specially when it will be of his own birthday.

I am writing this with very heavy heart that I would not be able to be part of this special occasion. The reaosn behind this is my job interview which is very pivotal to me. I am looking for this position from a long time and now when I am so close to it, I don't want to leave this opportunity.

However, I know Chris in completing his graduation next month. It will a good day for me to meet and celebrate with him. Also we could have a quality time together. I will see you soon.

Yours lovingly

Sam

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The candidate has successfully covered all three bullet points required in the prompt. First, you explained why Chris will enjoy the party, noting that 'he is a party animal' and that 'this surprise will make his birthday a memorable one.' Second, you clearly explained why you cannot attend due to an important 'job interview'. Finally, you provided details of a plan to see him at a different time, specifically 'when Chris in completing his graduation next month.' All parts of the task are fully addressed with relevant ideas and clear development, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter features clear logical organisation and progression throughout. You have used appropriate opening and closing conventions, and paragraphs are generally used to separate distinct topics, such as your reaction to the party, your inability to attend, and the alternative plan. Cohesive devices are employed, including transition markers like 'Firstly', 'Additionally', and 'However'. However, some referencing is slightly clunky or mechanical, and paragraphing could be structured more cleanly. Overall, the flow is logical and easy to follow, placing this submission comfortably at Band 6.5 or 7.0, with Band 7.0 being the best fit for clear organisation.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items and informal phrases suited to a letter to a friend's parents, such as 'party animal', 'pivotal', and 'memorable one'. There are, however, a few notable lexical and typographical errors, such as 'reaosn' instead of reason, and awkward phrasing like 'Chris in completing his graduation' (instead of 'is completing'). Despite these errors, communication is never impeded, and the vocabulary remains appropriate for a Band 6.0 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a reasonable command of English grammar. You have attempted complex structures, such as in 'The reaosn behind this is my job interview which is very pivotal to me.' However, several grammatical slips occur, including subject-verb agreement issues ('He enjoy such parties') and minor prepositional or tense errors ('I am looking for this position from a long time'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, though commas are occasionally omitted after introductory phrases. These errors do not impede communication, matching the Band 6.0 descriptor.

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

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