Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

I hope you are doing well. I felt astonished after reading your letter last week where you mentioned that you are planning a surprise birthday party for Chris. I would love to share my thoughts on it.

There are couple of things I would like to share, which Chris would enjoy for sure. First, if you add some books as gifts, it would be great. He is fond of fiction novels and getting some from you will make his day. Most of the time, he mentioned about memories from his childhood with both of you. If you have some old pictures of you and his, I would recommend to make something from it. He will cherish it.

I would definitly attend this party; however, my Australian visa has been expired. Due to this reason, I am unable to do that . The procedure for renewing it would take upto six months, which is quite long processing period.

After getting my visa, I will make plan to visit Chris in few months. I have bought a present for him already, and can't wait to give it to him.

I would appreciate it if you would share some details of the party after that.

Yours faithfully,

Man

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address all three requested points: you suggest books and childhood photographs, explain that your expired Australian visa prevents you from attending, and propose visiting Chris after it is renewed. The reasons for the gifts are relevant, especially that he enjoys fiction and values childhood memories. However, the party suggestions are not fully developed, and the alternative plan is vague: “in few months” does not give a clear time or specific arrangement. The closing request for party details also does not help establish when you will meet Chris. To strengthen the response, make the visit plan more definite—for example, suggest a month and say you will arrange a day with Chris once your visa is renewed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: an opening, a paragraph about Chris’s likely enjoyment, an explanation for your absence, and a future plan. The sequence is easy to follow, and transitions such as “First” and “however” help signal the relationship between ideas. Some linking is mechanical, though, as in “There are couple of things I would like to share” followed by “First,” and the final request for party details feels disconnected from the plan to see Chris later. References such as “it” in “make something from it” are not fully clear. Use more precise links and references, and connect the closing directly to the proposed visit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a personal letter, including relevant expressions such as “fond of fiction novels,” “cherish it,” and “procedure for renewing it.” These choices communicate your meaning, and the tone is generally polite. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, however: “felt astonished” is stronger than the context requires, “mentioned about memories” is not natural, and “quite long processing period” is unclear. There are also spelling errors such as “definitly,” alongside informal phrasing like “make my day.” Aim for more natural combinations and check spelling; for example, say that Chris “often talks about childhood memories” and that the renewal process “may take up to six months.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the conditional “If you add some books as gifts, it would be great” and the contrast introduced by “however.” Most of the message remains understandable, and errors rarely prevent the reader from following your meaning. Some grammatical inaccuracies remain: “There are couple of things” needs an article, “you and his” has an incorrect pronoun form, and “I will make plan to visit Chris in few months” needs articles. The sentence “I would recommend to make something from it” also uses an incorrect verb pattern. Review articles, pronouns, and verb patterns, and proofread spacing and punctuation, as in “do that .”

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

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