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,

I hope everything is going well with you and Chris . It has been a long time since we met. Please accept my warm greetings.

First of all , thank you for invitation to a surprise birthday event of Chris.I know Chris very well he will be over the moon after this surprise.It is a great idea to call the favourite musician band of chriss becuase he had a wish from a year to listen music their band.

Its my bad that i am not able to come at the event of my best friend because my grandmother is hospitalised . She is in the last stage of her life .So it is my first priority to take care of her.

However, I have a another plan in my mind to give a another good surprise to chriss on behalf of his birthday . It will be a trip from my side to one of the best places that chris loves.

I hope you will understand my situation. I look forward hearing from you.

Your Lovingly

Anu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response successfully covers all bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain why Chris will enjoy the party, noting that he will be 'over the moon' and mentioning the favourite musician band. You provide a valid and sympathetic reason for not being able to attend, which is your grandmother being hospitalised. Additionally, you outline a clear plan to see Chris at a different time by proposing a trip to one of his favourite places. The tone is appropriate for writing to a friend's parents, and all requirements are fully addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter is organised into clear paragraphs that separate the greeting, the acceptance of the invitation, the explanation for non-attendance, the alternative plan, and the sign-off. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'First of all', 'However', and 'So', though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used sufficiently, and the progression of ideas from the party to your absence and finally to your alternative plan is logical and easy to follow throughout.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using idiomatic expressions such as 'over the moon'. You also attempt less common phrases like 'first priority'. However, there are some noticeable vocabulary and spelling errors, such as 'invitation to a surprise birthday event' instead of 'invitation to Chris's surprise birthday party', 'musician band' instead of 'musical band', 'chriss' and 'becuase'. Despite these slips, communication is never impeded.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional and reason clauses ('because my grandmother is hospitalised'). However, there are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text, including run-on sentences ('I know Chris very well he will be over the moon'), missing apostrophes ('Its my bad'), and awkward prepositional usage ('come at the event'). Punctuation spacing around commas and periods also needs attention. These errors occur frequently but do not impede the overall meaning.

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

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