Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-19

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 Collin’s,

Thank you very much for inviting me to a surprise birthday for Chris .It’s a wonderful idea to surprise him.He will enjoy this surprise birthday party because he loves to spend special time with his family and friends. Definitely he will appreciate this idea as he loves to surprise his friends on their special days .

Unfortunately , I would not be able to attend this birthday party because I have to attend important conference in my college .I have a lot of work to finish . I have given a commitment to my college colleagues. This conference is very crucial for my career as well .

I will celebrate his birthday with him on another day .I have a different plans with him so I can spend valuable time with him .I will make special cake for him myself.

I hope Chris enjoys his special day and I am looking forward to meet you both soon.

Best wishes

Preeti

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three points clearly. You explain why Chris will enjoy the gathering, linking this to his enjoyment of time with family and friends, and give a specific reason for your absence: an important college conference and existing commitment to colleagues. You also propose celebrating on another day and add a personal gesture by offering to make a cake. These details make the letter relevant and purposeful. The alternative plan is the least developed part: “I have a different plans with him” does not say when or what you intend to do together. Give a definite suggestion, such as meeting for lunch the following weekend, to make this plan as clear and supported as the other points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression: you respond to the invitation, explain your absence, suggest another celebration, and close with a warm message. Separate paragraphs help the reader follow each part of the task, and linking expressions such as “because,” “Unfortunately,” and “as well” make relationships between ideas clear. The overall organisation is effective, though some connections and punctuation are not fully smooth—for example, “I will celebrate his birthday with him on another day. I have a different plans with him” feels repetitive and the second sentence does not clarify the first. Combine the ideas and specify the proposed occasion or time. More consistent spacing after full stops would also make the letter easier to read.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for a friendly personal letter and communicates the main ideas, with some useful expressions such as “special time,” “valuable time,” and “crucial for my career.” However, several choices are repetitive or imprecise: “surprise birthday” and “surprise birthday party” recur, while “different plans” does not clearly convey the intended arrangement. Some collocations are also unnatural, including “attend important conference” and “given a commitment.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Aim for more idiomatic combinations and vary repeated wording—for instance, describe the event as a “surprise celebration” and say you have “committed to helping with” the conference.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and some subordinate clauses, such as “He will enjoy this surprise birthday party because he loves to spend special time with his family and friends.” The message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. Articles are missing in “attend important conference,” and the plural construction in “I have a different plans” is incorrect. The closing phrase “looking forward to meet” should use a gerund after “to.” There are also punctuation and spacing problems, such as the full stop joined to “It’s” and spaces before commas. Review articles, singular and plural forms, verb patterns, and sentence punctuation; correcting these would make your otherwise clear sentences more accurate.

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