Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-04

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 really delighted that you invited me for Chris's birthday party. He would love it as he is fond of surprises, and will enjoy it as you are calling all his friends at the party. He told me recently that it has been a while, he have not met his school friends. So, I think it is going to be a great fun for him. As you told me, that you are giving him new laptop as a birthday party this will be a cherry on a cake for him.

However, due to my appointment to the dentist on that particular day, I would not be able to attend. Because next day my dentist is going to visit his country and will not return till late december and it is urgent for me to get the checkup as I have cavity.

I am planning to meet Chris on the following weekend and love to take him to his favourite restaurent, so that we can spend some quality time while enjoying his favourite cuisine. I will send the detailed time and pickup schedule shortly.

Please accept my apologies and give my warm regards to Chris.

Yours Sincerely,

Roop

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response effectively addresses all bullet points required by the task prompt. You successfully explained why Chris will enjoy the party, stating that he is fond of surprises and will love seeing his friends. You also clearly outlined why you cannot attend due to an urgent dental appointment before your dentist travels abroad. Finally, you presented a clear plan to see Chris on the following weekend at his favourite restaurant. All parts of the prompt are covered, and your ideas are well-supported with relevant details, showing a clear purpose and tone suitable for a friend's parents.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

Your letter demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from the opening greetings and party excitement to your apology and alternative meeting plan. You used appropriate cohesive devices such as 'However' and 'so that', although some referencing and transitions feel slightly mechanical, such as the sudden shift into the dental details. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, guiding the reader naturally through the message from start to finish.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You demonstrated an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common phrases like 'spend some quality time' and 'favourite cuisine'. However, there are some minor word choice and collocation inaccuracies that prevent a higher score, such as writing 'invited me for Chris's birthday party' instead of 'to', 'calling all his friends at the party' instead of 'inviting', and the idiom 'cherry on a cake' instead of 'icing on the cake'. Spelling and word-form errors are minimal and do not impede the reader's understanding.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You used a mix of simple and complex sentence forms effectively, such as conditional and relative clauses. There are some noticeable errors in grammar and tense consistency, including 'he have not met' instead of 'has not met', 'you told me, that' with an unnecessary comma, and 'appointment to the dentist' rather than 'with'. Additionally, phrases like 'due to my appointment... I would not be able to attend' show minor control slips in modal usage. However, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede overall communication.

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

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