Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-09
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,
How are you? I hope everything is going well with you. Thank you so much for inviting me to Chris’s surprise birthday party. I think it is a wounderful idea and I am sure Chris will be absolutely thrilled.
First of all, Congratulation for 18th birthday as Chris is get into new faces of the life. A surprise party will be a perfect way to make the birthday memorable, especially because Chris will not expect everyone to gather together. I am sure the lovely arrangements and thoughtful gifts will make Chris feel special and appreciated.
Unfortunately, I am unable to attend the party because i have my final exam of that day. I really sorry about that but is not possible for me to come of that day.. I am really disappointed because I would have loved to be part of this special occasion. However, I would love to meet Chris the following weekend. Perhaps we could go to Chris’s favourite restaurant for dinner, where I can give a birthday gift and spend some quality time together. Please let me know if that would be convenient.
I hope you all have a fantastic celebration. Please give Chris my warmest birthday wishes!
Best wishes,
Ramanpreet
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5
The letter addresses all three requirements clearly. You explain why Chris would enjoy the surprise, noting that he will not expect everyone to gather and that the arrangements and gifts will make him feel appreciated. You also give a specific reason for your absence—your final exam—and propose meeting the following weekend at his favourite restaurant. These ideas are relevant and supported with suitable detail, and the warm closing fits the purpose. To make the response even more fully developed, clarify the timing of the exam or suggest a more definite day and time for the alternative meeting. The birthday reference is understandable, though the main explanation of why Chris will enjoy the event is stronger than this brief congratulatory point.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The letter has a clear progression: thanks and an opening opinion, reasons the party will be enjoyable, an explanation for your absence, an alternative plan, and a friendly closing. Paragraphing supports these stages, while transitions such as “First of all,” “Unfortunately,” and “However” help the reader follow the message. The sequence is logical and the proposed meeting follows naturally from the apology. Some linking is slightly mechanical, particularly “First of all,” and the repeated emphasis on disappointment in the absence paragraph could be streamlined. A more direct transition between the birthday explanation and the reason for missing the event would make the flow smoother, but the overall organisation remains clear.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a friendly personal letter, including “absolutely thrilled,” “thoughtful gifts,” “special and appreciated,” and “quality time.” These phrases convey warmth and suit the context. There are also some inaccurate word choices, spelling errors, and collocations that limit precision: “wounderful” should be “wonderful,” “new faces of the life” is not idiomatic, and “Congratulation for 18th birthday” is awkward. “Final exam of that day” and “come of that day” also show difficulty selecting natural expressions. Communication remains clear, but more accurate everyday collocations would strengthen the letter. Practise phrases such as “celebrate his 18th birthday” and “I have an exam that day.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The response includes both simple and more complex sentence forms, for example, “I am sure the lovely arrangements and thoughtful gifts will make Chris feel special and appreciated” and “Perhaps we could go to Chris’s favourite restaurant for dinner, where I can give a birthday gift.” Some grammatical errors remain, although the intended meaning is generally clear. Examples include “Chris is get into” instead of a correctly formed verb phrase, “I really sorry” without the verb “am,” and “but is not possible” without a clear subject. There are also errors in capitalisation and punctuation, such as “Congratulation” after a full stop and the doubled full stop in “day..” Check subject–verb structure and include the necessary auxiliary verbs when apologising.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.