Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

I hope you are doing well. I am very happy to hear that you are doing to celebrate Chris's birthday and I know that she does not know about it and I will also try to keep it secret. Moreover, she will love it because she likes to receive gifts and surprise from others because last year we celebrated her birthday at school that was also surprised for her and she got emotional by looking decoration, gifts and cake but we enjoyed a lot on that day. I hope she will enjoy this party too.

Unfortunately, I have exam on that day and I have to prepare that because it can take more time to prepare and i am so weak in that course. So, I have study hard to pass that course, but I will try to attend on video call her surprise and wish to her on special day.

I will try to meet her on her graduation and I will surprise her too with her favorite things which I know very well.

Thankyou for understanding,

ABC

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points in the task: you explain that Chris enjoys gifts and recalls her emotional reaction to last year’s celebration, give your exam as the reason you cannot attend, and suggest meeting at her graduation. These details make the letter relevant and the reason for absence is understandable. However, some ideas are less fully developed than others. The graduation plan is quite general: you could suggest a specific time or activity, such as meeting for lunch after the ceremony, and make clear how you will arrange it. The video-call offer is a thoughtful addition, but it does not replace the requested plan to see Chris later. Overall, the purpose is clear, though the later-meeting arrangement could be more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: you begin with the party and Chris’s likely reaction, move to your reason for not attending, and finish with a future meeting plan. Paragraphing helps distinguish these main points, and linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “Unfortunately,” and “So” guide the reader through the message. This gives the response a coherent progression. Some connections are less smooth, however: the long opening sentence combines several ideas, and “So” introduces a point that partly repeats the need to study. The final plan would also connect more clearly if you stated when you will contact the parents or Chris to arrange the meeting. More varied, precise links between ideas would make the cohesion feel less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main message, including relevant terms such as “surprise party,” “emotional,” “decoration,” “prepare,” and “graduation.” The reference to Chris enjoying gifts and the previous celebration gives you some opportunity to describe the occasion rather than relying only on basic expressions. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or repetitive, such as “receive gifts and surprise,” “looking decoration,” and “attend on video call her surprise.” These may make the reader pause to interpret your meaning. Aim for more natural combinations and precise phrases—for example, “enjoy receiving gifts,” “seeing the decorations,” and “join the celebration by video call.” Check spelling and capitalization as well, including “Thank you” and “I.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, including a reason clause with “because” and a contrast introduced by “Unfortunately.” The main message remains understandable, but errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms occur in several places. For example, “I am very happy to hear that you are doing to celebrate” has an incorrect verb construction, while “I have exam” needs an article and “I have study hard” uses the wrong verb form. The opening sentence also runs several ideas together, making its structure difficult to follow. Work on accurate verb patterns, articles, and sentence boundaries; splitting that opening into shorter sentences would help. More consistently controlled complex sentences would strengthen the range and accuracy.

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

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