Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-16
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 am delighted to hear that you are planning a surprise birthday party for chris,
he will be overjoyed by the idea and will be very grateful indeed.
I think chris is really going to enjoy the party as he was looking forward to his 30th birthday since quite a long time. he wanted to do something really special and was already planning to celebrate it with his dear friends and family. As you have invited nearly all his friends and beloved family members, he will be delighted by the gesture and appreciate your love and care towards him. unfortunately, this weekend i am not in the city and will not be able to attend his birthday due to a prior work commitment. I hope you will accept my apologies for this.
Infact,I had earlier planned to celebrate chris's birthday on cruise ship where we usually go for hanging out on weekends. I am planning to meet him and celebrate his day there on coming wednesday, i will be really thankful if you both join us there. looking forward to hear from you
your's faithfully
Edward
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0
The letter addresses all three required points clearly. You explain why Chris will enjoy the event, noting that he has been looking forward to his 30th birthday and wanted to celebrate with friends and family. You also give a clear reason for your absence—a prior work commitment—and propose meeting on Wednesday on a cruise ship, while inviting his parents to join. These ideas are relevant and sufficiently extended, with a consistently warm, apologetic tone appropriate for writing to a friend’s parents. To make the plan even more complete, specify which Wednesday or suggest a time, and clarify whether the cruise is already booked or simply an idea. Overall, the main purpose and details are communicated effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The information follows a sensible order: you respond to the invitation, explain Chris’s likely reaction, apologise for being unable to attend, and suggest another celebration. This gives the letter an understandable overall structure. However, the response is presented largely as one long paragraph, so the shift from explaining the party to discussing your absence and alternative plan is not visually clear. Some links also feel mechanical or abrupt, particularly the transition to “Infact” and the repeated use of “and.” Use separate paragraphs for the party, your apology, and the alternative plan, and connect them with natural transitions such as “Unfortunately” and “To make it up to him.” This would make the progression easier to follow.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.5
You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a friendly letter, including “overjoyed,” “gesture,” “prior work commitment,” and “apologies.” These choices help convey enthusiasm and regret, and the meaning remains clear throughout. There are also some awkward or inaccurate expressions that limit precision and naturalness: “since quite a long time,” “dear friends and family,” and “where we usually go for hanging out” could be expressed more idiomatically. “Infact” should be written as “In fact,” and “your’s faithfully” is an incorrect sign-off form; “Yours sincerely” or “Best wishes” would suit this context. More consistent control of collocations and the letter’s informal-but-polite register would strengthen the vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
The letter includes both simple sentences and longer structures, such as the explanation that Chris “was looking forward to his 30th birthday” and the sentence describing your work commitment. Most grammatical choices allow the reader to understand your message, but some errors remain. For example, “I am planning to meet him and celebrate his day there on coming Wednesday” needs an article or determiner (“the coming Wednesday”), and the comma in “there on coming Wednesday, i will be really thankful” joins two independent clauses incorrectly. Capitalisation is also inconsistent: “chris,” “he,” and “i” should be capitalised where appropriate. Check sentence boundaries, articles, and capital letters, especially when joining ideas with commas.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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