Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-12

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 both are doing well. Thank you very much for inviting me for the surprise birthday party for Chris. I believe Chris will really enjoy the sureprise party since he was thinking his parents forgot his birthday. So this would be a good surprise for him.

Unfortunately, I cannot participate to the party because I will be in the Perth at that time. This happened because, I am starting my new job this month and I have to relocate for the job. I have to work for three months as a probation period. Also the mine site is far from the city.

I would be happy to meet Chris after I finished my probation period. I will be back in Adelaide from end of January. Therefore, I would be happy to arrange another party to Chris because I will miss his birthday. I believe we all can meet in the party if both of you could make it. If not I hope we can arrange another time to meet.

Please accept my sincere apologies.

Kind regards,

Thilan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three points clearly. You explain that Chris will enjoy the surprise because he thinks his parents have forgotten his birthday, give a specific reason for your absence (relocating to Perth for a new job and a three-month probation period), and suggest meeting after you return to Adelaide at the end of January. The apology and polite closing also suit a letter to your friend’s parents. The main area to develop is the alternative plan: “arrange another party” is mentioned, but the timing and activity remain vague, and the invitation for the parents to join is conditional rather than a definite proposal. Give a clearer plan, such as suggesting a particular weekend and a meal with Chris.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter is organised in a clear sequence: thanks and the reason Chris will enjoy the surprise, an explanation for your absence, then a future meeting proposal and apology. Paragraphing supports this progression, and linking expressions such as “Unfortunately,” “Also,” and “Therefore” help guide the reader. The ideas are generally easy to follow, although some connections feel mechanical or repetitive. For example, “I would be happy” appears twice in the final paragraph, and “Therefore” does not add much to the link between returning in January and arranging a gathering. To make the flow more natural, vary the phrasing and connect the return date directly to a specific suggested meeting.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the purpose and includes relevant expressions such as “surprise birthday party,” “relocate,” “probation period,” and “sincere apologies.” These communicate the situation clearly, though the range is somewhat limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate. For instance, “participate to the party” is not the natural expression, and “arrange another party to Chris” is awkward. There is also a spelling error in “sureprise.” Aim for more natural combinations and precise phrasing, such as “attend the party” and “organise a belated celebration for Chris.” This would make the letter sound more fluent and appropriately polished without changing its friendly, respectful tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the reason clause in “since he was thinking his parents forgot his birthday” and the conditional “if both of you could make it.” The message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors occur. Examples include “I will be in the Perth” (the article is unnecessary), “because, I am starting” (the comma interrupts the clause), and “after I finished my probation period,” where the future time reference calls for “after I finish.” “I will be back in Adelaide from end of January” also needs a more accurate time phrase, such as “at the end of January.” Check articles, verb forms in time clauses, and punctuation around conjunctions.

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