Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,

I hope you find this letter in great health. I received an invitation letter for surprise birthday party of Chris you are planning to do next month. Chris has always been fond of surprises. He will love your plan and it's a great oportunity for him to meet all his friends. Chris always try to make birthday events memorable for everyone now it's time to make him feel special.

I am writting today to inform you about my exams coming up next month due to which I would not be able to attend the event. These exams are extremely important for my course of study as you know I am in my final semester. I am really sorry.

But I am planning to visit him soon after I graduate. I will be free from my studies at the end of March, by the start of April I will be visiting you. Have a great birthday party. I will be looking forward for all the pictures. See you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Ashley.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three points clearly. You explain that Chris enjoys surprises and would value seeing his friends, give a specific reason for your absence—important final-semester exams—and propose visiting after graduation, with a timeframe of late March or early April. These details make the letter relevant and purposeful. The explanation of why Chris will enjoy the party is supported by his character and the chance to meet friends, although the point about his own efforts to make birthdays memorable could be connected more explicitly to why this event will matter to him. To strengthen the response further, develop that link and make the proposed visit slightly more definite, such as suggesting a particular day or activity.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression: you respond to the invitation, explain your inability to attend, and then suggest another time to meet. Paragraphing separates these purposes effectively, and transitions such as “But” and “soon after I graduate” help the reader follow the sequence. The closing is appropriate for a personal letter. Some connections could be smoother: “But” creates a slightly abrupt shift from apologising to proposing a visit, and “by the start of April I will be visiting you” could be linked more naturally to the preceding sentence. Use a wider range of natural transitions and make the relationship between ideas explicit, while keeping the straightforward organisation that already works well.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task and includes relevant expressions such as “fond of surprises,” “final semester,” and “make him feel special.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and the tone is generally suitable for a letter to your friend’s parents. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “find this letter in great health,” “invitation letter,” and “looking forward for.” There are also spelling errors such as “oportunity” and “writting.” These do not prevent understanding, but they limit the precision and naturalness of the language. Aim to learn common letter-writing phrases as complete expressions and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more developed sentence forms, including the explanation “These exams are extremely important for my course of study as you know I am in my final semester.” Most sentences are understandable, and the grammar errors do not obstruct the message. Some issues remain with agreement and sentence construction: “Chris always try” should be “Chris always tries,” while “I received an invitation letter for surprise birthday party” needs clearer article use and phrasing. The long sentence about being free at the end of March and visiting in April would benefit from clearer punctuation or separation into two sentences. Continue practising agreement, articles, and punctuation in longer sentences to improve control.

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