Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-20

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 Sir, I hope you are doing well. I am so delighted that you invited me at Chris's surprise birthday party. Firstly, I am so happy that you arranged a surprise birthday party for him. Chris would definately love your surprise. When we were in school he always liked such surprises and birthday events. Moreover, He will praise your efforts and emotions behind all arrangements. Secondly, Unfortunately, I will not be able to join the party, I have an important meeting with international clients. I tried to postpone this meeting but I could'nt do this. However, I have other plans, Its been so long I met Chris and I myself am so excited to meet him. I would invite him to dinner at my home after my meeting. Also, I planned to go for camping with Chris , We will remind our childhood memories and will enjoy exploring some new cafes in Lahore. Thanks again for the invitiation. I look forward to the response. Yours Sincerely Saba

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three points clearly: you explain that Chris enjoys surprises, give a reason you cannot attend, and suggest meeting him for dinner and camping later. The school memory supports your prediction that he will enjoy the party, while the work meeting is a clear explanation for your absence. Your alternative plans are relevant and personal, although the timing could be more precise—for example, propose a particular day or say when you expect to finish the meeting. The letter also maintains a consistently appreciative tone. To strengthen the response further, develop the plan to see Chris into one clear arrangement rather than leaving the dinner and camping plans somewhat uncertain.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The ideas follow a sensible order: appreciation and reasons Chris will enjoy the party come first, followed by your apology and alternative plans. The transitions “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “However” make the sequence easy to follow, and the closing is appropriate. However, these signposts feel somewhat mechanical, and the long middle section combines your work commitment, dinner invitation, and camping idea without clear separation. The reference in “I look forward to the response” is also not fully clear: it could mean a reply about the party or your proposed meeting. Use separate paragraphs for the party and your absence/alternative plan, and connect the later arrangements more explicitly to improve progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a friendly invitation letter, including “surprise,” “arrangements,” “international clients,” and “exploring.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and the tone is generally warm. There are, however, some spelling and word-choice errors, such as “definately,” “invitiation,” and “emotions behind all arrangements.” The last phrase is understandable but not a natural way to describe the care put into organising a party. “Praise your efforts” also sounds overly formal in this personal context. Aim for more natural collocations and check spelling carefully; this will make your message sound more fluent without needing unusually advanced vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, and the reader can understand your main message. For example, “When we were in school he always liked such surprises” gives useful background, while the sentence about trying to postpone the meeting adds detail. Some grammatical and punctuation errors remain. In “I will not be able to join the party, I have an important meeting,” two independent clauses are joined with a comma; use a full stop or “because.” “Its been so long I met Chris” needs a clearer tense and clause structure, such as “It has been so long since I last met Chris.” Capitalisation and apostrophes also need attention in “He,” “Its,” and “could'nt.” More accurate sentence boundaries and tense forms would improve control.

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