Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-23
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're doing well!. I 'm so delighted you invited me on Chris birthday pary but I want to let you know that I'll not not be able to attened Chris party.
I was so happy when I heared about Chris birthday party and it would be surprise for him. I'm damn sure he would enjoy it because he always like surprises and he always ready to do fun and party with his friends and relatives.
Unfortunately, I would not be able to attened to this party because on this day I have US visa appointment and I got that after long time. If I miss it, it would take long time again to take next slot.
It's been ages since I met Chris. Therefore I've been thinkking I would meet Chris this weekend and I can give him pre birthday wishes. I think It would be great idea as we get enough time to spend with each other.
Once again thank you for inviting me and I wish you would enjoy this party.
Best wishes,
Sandeep.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
The candidate has successfully addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. First, you explained why Chris will enjoy the party, noting that he 'always like surprises and he always ready to do fun and party'. Second, you clearly explained why you cannot attend due to a 'US visa appointment'. Third, you provided a concrete plan to see Chris 'this weekend' to give him 'pre birthday wishes'. The tone is appropriately informal and friendly throughout, fitting a letter to a friend's parents. The requirements of the task have been fully covered with relevant ideas and sufficient development, earning a solid band score.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, with each paragraph dealing with a distinct part of the prompt (such as the reason for absence and the alternative plan). Cohesive devices are used to connect ideas, for example, 'Unfortunately', 'Therefore', and 'Once again thank you'. However, there are some minor mechanical issues with cohesion, such as repetitive referencing ('Chris... Chris... Chris...') and slightly abrupt transitions between ideas. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to structure the letter well, but a greater variety of cohesive expressions would elevate the organisation further.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the task, successfully communicating the intended message. There are some attempts at less common phrasing such as 'pre birthday wishes' and 'it's been ages'. However, there are noticeable limitations and inaccuracies in word choice and spelling, such as 'pary' instead of party, 'attened' instead of attend, 'heared' instead of heard, and colloquialisms like 'damn sure' which are a bit too informal for this context. Spelling errors and slightly repetitive language prevent the score from reaching a higher band.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional structures ('If I miss it, it would take long time again...') and subordinate clauses ('I was so happy when I heared about Chris birthday party...'). However, there are several grammatical errors and omissions, including missing articles ('a surprise', 'a great idea'), incorrect prepositions ('invited me on Chris birthday pary'), and repeated tense inconsistencies. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough across the text to warrant a band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.