Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-06
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 7.0)
Dear Mr and Mrs. Collins,
I hope you are doing well. I am writing regarding the surprise birthday party for Chris.
First, I would like to express my gratitude for the invitation you sent me. Although Chris and I rarely communicate due to our busy schedule, you still see me as one of his treasured friends. When I saw the details of the invitation, my immediate reaction was that Chris would definitely appreciate the surprise. This is due to the fact that when we were in college he told me that he loves surprises because it made him feel special and valued. Additionally, I know that he likes parties as this enable him to be with the people closest to him.
However, it is with deepest regret to inform you that I will not be able to attend the surpise party next week due to work commitments. I have to travel to Manila to give a talk on a conference for health practioners. Please accept my sincerest apology.
On the other hand, even before I found out that there is a suprise party for Chris. I have already reserve a restaurant to celebrate his birthday. If you want, you can join us. I invite few of our college friends as well. It will be on the last Saturday of the month. I will send you another email regarding the time and address of the restaurant.
Thank you!
Kind regards,
Elisa
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 7.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5
The response successfully covers all parts of the prompt in a friendly and appropriate semi-formal tone. Elisa clearly addresses why Chris will enjoy the party by recalling his past love for surprises, explains her absence due to work commitments involving a conference, and offers a specific alternative plan to see him later in the month. The ideas are extended and supported well, though the explanation of why Chris likes surprises could be slightly more expansive to reach the highest levels. Overall, the task is fully addressed, demonstrating a clear and consistent position throughout the communication.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The letter exhibits clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas are grouped effectively into distinct paragraphs, each serving a clear purpose such as acknowledging the invitation, explaining the absence, and proposing alternative plans. Cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'Additionally', 'However', and 'On the other hand' are used to connect ideas, though referencing is occasionally slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to guide the reader smoothly from opening pleasantries to the final sign-off.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.5
The writer demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a personal yet polite letter, attempting some less common lexical items such as 'treasured friends', 'sincerest apology', and 'work commitments'. However, there are a few noticeable spelling and word choice errors, such as 'surpise' instead of 'surprise', 'on a conference' instead of 'at a conference', 'practioners' instead of 'practitioners', and 'have already reserve' instead of 'have already reserved'. These minor lexical slips slightly restrict the score, but communication remains entirely clear throughout.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5
Elisa uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over structures such as subordinate clauses ('Although Chris and I rarely communicate due to our busy schedule...'). There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, such as 'as this enable him' instead of 'as this enables him' and the fragmented sentence structure in 'even before I found out that there is a suprise party for Chris. I have already reserve a restaurant...'. Punctuation around salutations also has minor inconsistencies, but these errors rarely impede communication and the mix of structures shows reasonable grammatical control.
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