Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-30
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 you are doing well. I am writing to thank you for inviting me to Chris’s surprise birthday party. I am sure that he will be very happy and excited to celebrate his birthday with his family and friends.
I am very happy for Chris because I think he will enjoy his surprise birthday party. When he sees his friends, he will be very happy.
When I got your letter of invitation, I was very excited, but unfortunately, I have urgent work on the same day. Due to this emergency, I will not be able to come to the party.
I am planning to meet Chris next Saturday because I have some free time on weekends. If possible, please hide this information from Chris, as I would like to give him a surprise.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
Nitika
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
The student has successfully covered all three bullet points outlined in the prompt. You state why Chris will enjoy the party by mentioning that celebrating with family and friends will make him happy and excited. You clearly explain your inability to attend due to urgent work commitments, and you provide a specific plan to meet Chris next Saturday while maintaining the secret. All parts of the task are addressed appropriately with a clear and consistent tone suited for a semi-formal letter. Ideas are relevant, although some points like why he will enjoy it are repeated across paragraphs rather than fully extended. Overall, the response fulfills the requirements of the task very well, earning a solid band score.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The letter exhibits a clear and logical overall structure with appropriate paragraphing. Each paragraph serves a distinct communicative purpose, starting with an opening and purpose, moving to enjoyment and absence, detailing alternative plans, and concluding politely. Cohesive devices such as 'When I got your letter', 'unfortunately', and 'If possible' are used effectively to connect ideas. However, paragraph two feels somewhat redundant and repetitive regarding why Chris will enjoy the party, slightly affecting the smooth progression of ideas. Nevertheless, referencing is clear throughout, and the letter is easy to follow from beginning to end, warranting a respectable band score.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
The vocabulary used is adequate and generally appropriate for the task. You successfully employ functional phrases such as 'surprise birthday party', 'urgent work', 'emergency', and 'free time on weekends'. However, the lexical range is somewhat limited and repetitive, particularly with the frequent use of basic adjectives like 'happy' and 'excited' (e.g., 'very happy and excited', 'very happy', 'very happy', 'very excited'). There is little attempt to use less common or more sophisticated lexical items. While communication is never impeded, the restricted variety prevents the response from achieving a higher band in this category.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0
The letter demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You have successfully incorporated subordinate clauses effectively, as seen in 'When he sees his friends, he will be very happy' and 'If possible, please hide this information from Chris, as I would like to give him a surprise.' Grammatical accuracy is quite high, and punctuation is handled correctly throughout the text. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and control over tense and modal verbs is secure. While the range of complex structures is somewhat constrained, the accuracy and clarity of the grammar used are strong features of this writing.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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