Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 this letter finds you well.

Thank you for the invitation to Chris' party. He told me many times that his dream was a surprise party so I am sure he will love it.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend, once I will be doing IELTS exam on 20th October. The test is going to take about 6 hours. It is untransferable in my case because I have to reapply my visa within 30 days and it has to be done on time. I am so sorry.

I really would like to join you all in this moment, but this time it will not be possible.

I am planning to invite him to a new japanese restaurant on next weekend because I now he loves it, so it will be my way to apologise about my absence in his party.

I hope you all enjoy this special moment.

Best regards,

Eduarda Lenhardt da Silva.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three points clearly: you explain that Chris has often said a surprise party was his dream, give the IELTS exam and visa deadline as reasons for your absence, and propose taking him to a Japanese restaurant the following weekend. The apology and warm closing also suit the purpose of a personal letter to his parents. Your ideas are relevant and the reader can understand your plans, although the explanation of the alternative meeting is brief and could be extended with a specific day or time and a suggestion to check Chris’s availability. Overall, the response covers the task and supports its main points, but a little more detail would make the plans feel more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter follows a sensible sequence: greeting and thanks, explanation of the absence, an alternative plan, and a closing. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these stages, and phrases such as “Unfortunately” and “I am so sorry” make the shift to your reason for declining clear. The progression is generally easy to follow, but some links feel repetitive or mechanical: “I really would like to join you all in this moment” repeats the regret already expressed, while “I hope you all enjoy this special moment” returns to the party after the restaurant plan without a strong transition. You could combine the two expressions of regret and use a clearer link to the proposed visit. This would make the cohesion more flexible and less repetitive.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range for a friendly invitation response, including “invitation,” “surprise party,” “attend,” and “apologise.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and the tone is generally appropriate. Some word choices and collocations are less natural, however: “my dream was a surprise party” is understandable but “his dream was to have a surprise party” is more idiomatic; “in this moment” and “apologise about my absence” are also awkward. There are spelling or form slips in “japanese” and “now” where “know” is intended. Greater accuracy with common collocations, alongside a few more precise expressions for arranging a visit, would strengthen the vocabulary control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple sentences and more complex forms, such as the explanation beginning “because I have to reapply my visa within 30 days.” Most of the message remains understandable, and the sentence structures are varied enough to express the reason for declining and the alternative plan. Some grammatical errors remain, including “I will not be able to attend, once I will be doing IELTS exam,” where the clause and future form are not correctly constructed. “On next weekend” also has an incorrect preposition, and “I really would like” is less natural in this context than “I would really like.” Review clause linking, articles, and prepositions, and proofread sentence boundaries. More consistently accurate complex sentences would improve control.

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