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 Collins,
I hope you are doing well. I am writing to inform you that I will not be able to join the surprise birthday party that you are planning for Chris. I truly feel sorry for not being able to attend his party.
Regardless the cercumstances, I believe, he will have fun celebrating his birthday. First of all, he will be stunned when you will surprise him with the cake and the decoration in the basement. Moreover, all his friends will be waiting for him inside to surprise him! The reason I won't be able to join is my IELTS exam. It is sceduled the same day as his birthday. This exam is important for me as it relates to my immigration. I am feeling really very bad for not coming to his birthday party.
However, I have desided that I will pay him a visit on 21st of next month. On that day, we will be completing five years of our friendship. I have planned a road trip in australia with him. I am sure he will be surprised again after your party.
Yours Lovely,
Nish Payman.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response successfully covers all bullet points required by the prompt. You begin by addressing Chris's parents appropriately, though you incorrectly used 'Dear Mr Collins' instead of including Mrs Collins based on the salutation 'Dear Mr and Mrs Collins'. However, you clearly explain why Chris will enjoy the party by mentioning the cake, decorations, and waiting friends. You then give a clear explanation for your absence by citing your upcoming IELTS exam and its importance for your immigration. Finally, you provide a clear plan to see Chris on the 21st of next month for a road trip. All parts of the task are adequately addressed, earning a solid Band 6.5.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
Your letter is arranged logically into appropriate paragraphs with a clear overall structure. You use cohesive devices such as 'First of all', 'Moreover', and 'However' to link your ideas together smoothly. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the introduction, the explanation of the party and your absence, and the alternative plan. While referencing is generally clear, some minor issues with mechanical transitions prevent a higher score. Overall, the flow is coherent and easy for the reader to follow, which fits the Band 7 criteria well.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a semi-formal letter, using words like 'immigration', 'celebrating', and 'stunned'. However, there are several spelling errors and vocabulary slips, such as 'cercumstances' instead of 'circumstances', 'desided' instead of 'decided', and 'sceduled' instead of 'scheduled'. Additionally, 'Yours Lovely' is an incorrect sign-off collocation (the standard is 'Yours sincerely' or 'Best wishes'). These errors show an attempt at less common vocabulary with some inaccuracy, placing your lexical score at Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You make use of a good mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional and relative structures ('The reason I won't be able to join is my IELTS exam'). There are several grammatical errors and typos throughout the letter, such as 'Regardless the cercumstances' (should be 'Regardless of the circumstances'), 'when you will surprise him' (should be 'when you surprise him'), and capitalizing 'australia'. Although these errors occur, they do not impede communication. Your control is consistent enough to secure a Band 6.0 for grammatical range and accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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