Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-28

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 7.5)

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

I hope you are well.

Thank you for inviting me to Chris' surprise birthday party, that is so thoughtful of you. Chris has always been a lively person and I know that this birthday will mean the world to him. He is such a great friend who makes everyone around him feel loved, and ensure people are comfortable at all times. Therefore, this surprise party is well deserved for him and to show him how amazing he is.

However, I am unable to attend Chris' party on that day, because it falls on the same day as my paternal grandmother's remembrance, and this year my family planned to travel back home to celebrate with the relatives. I feel so bad knowing that I will miss my friend's important occassion. Nevertheless, I promise to make it up to him the following weekend when I return by planning a surprise game night date for him.

I hope you all have a great time planning the party and see you soon. Thank You.

Yours sincerely,

Oge.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The response covers all three bullet points of the task fully and effectively. You successfully explain why Chris will enjoy the surprise party by highlighting his lively personality and warm nature. You clearly state why you are unable to attend due to your paternal grandmother's remembrance and family travel plans. Furthermore, you provide a clear and thoughtful alternative plan to see Chris at a different time by proposing a surprise game night date for the following weekend. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend's parents, and the purpose of the communication is achieved effortlessly. All aspects of the task are well-developed without any omissions, earning a solid band score.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression from thanking the parents and discussing the party, to explaining your absence, and finally proposing an alternative meeting. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate each main idea, making the letter easy to follow. Cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'However', and 'Nevertheless' are deployed effectively to link ideas and signal shifts in thought. Referencing is clear throughout, and the opening and closing salutations correctly match the formal-yet-friendly context of writing to Mr and Mrs Collins. The flow of the letter is smooth and natural from start to finish.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient and flexible range of vocabulary suited to a personal letter. Phrases such as 'thoughtful of you', 'mean the world to him', and 'make it up to him' read naturally and appropriately. There is an attempt at less common vocabulary items like 'remembrance' and 'paternal grandmother'. However, there is a minor spelling error ('occassion' instead of 'occasion') and a slight grammatical slip with the preposition in 'ensure people are comfortable' (which should be 'ensures' for agreement, or 'ensuring'). Overall, the lexical range is more than adequate to convey precise meaning without any impedance to communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.5

The letter features a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as concessive clauses ('Although/However...') and relative clauses ('who makes everyone around him feel loved'). The majority of sentences are error-free, demonstrating good control over grammar and punctuation. There is a slight punctuation error in the second paragraph where a comma splice occurs ('Chris' surprise birthday party, that is so thoughtful of you'), which should be separated by a full stop or semicolon. Additionally, subject-verb agreement wobbles slightly with 'and ensure people are comfortable' following 'who makes'. Nevertheless, these errors are minor and infrequent, allowing for smooth communication throughout.

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

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