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 Mrs Collins,

I hope you are doing well. Thank you for inviting me on his birthday. I really appreciate your greeting but unfortunately, I will not be able to come on his birthday party. I am sure Chris would love your surprise because he always wanted to spend this special occassion with his family. I cerainly knew this because he shared with me when we have stayed together at hostel.

I wish I could take part on his birthday but I have my final exam on the same day and It is not possible to reschedule it. However, I am planning to visit in your city on the following day so I will definitely stopped by your home to meet him. It has been a month since he completed his course and moved to his hometown. We can go for a dinner together on 30 May.

I kindly request you to have dinner with me and allow me to express my gratittude and respect. Thank you.

Kind regards,

Vaibhav

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three points: you explain that Chris values time with family, give your final exam as the reason you cannot attend, and suggest meeting for dinner on 30 May. The reason for missing the party is clear, and the personal detail about Chris sharing his wish while you lived together makes the explanation relevant. This fully covers the task at the lower level, with some stronger development, but the party idea and alternative plan could be extended further to reach the next level. For example, explain what about a surprise would delight Chris, and make the proposed dinner arrangements more definite by confirming a time or asking whether the date suits the parents and Chris.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a clear overall shape: you thank the parents and explain the surprise, then give your reason for declining and propose another meeting, before closing politely. Linking expressions such as “but,” “because,” and “However” help show the relationships between ideas. Some connections and references are less clear or slightly mechanical, though. “I really appreciate your greeting” does not clearly refer to the invitation, and “I will definitely stopped by your home” interrupts the flow because the intended plan is not expressed cleanly. The final request to have dinner also repeats the earlier proposal. Use more precise references and combine the dinner invitation and request into one clear closing plan.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for a personal letter, including relevant expressions such as “surprise,” “reschedule,” “completed his course,” and “express my gratitude and respect.” The tone is generally polite and appropriate. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, including “Thank you for inviting me on his birthday,” “I appreciate your greeting,” and “take part on his birthday.” There are also spelling errors in “occassion,” “cerainly,” and “gratittude.” These do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, but they limit precision and naturalness. Choose familiar, accurate phrases such as “inviting me to the party” and check spelling carefully; this would make your vocabulary more controlled and idiomatic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including a reason clause (“because he always wanted…”) and a contrast introduced by “However.” The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors occur. For example, “when we have stayed together at hostel” has an unsuitable tense and is missing an article, while “I will definitely stopped by” combines a modal with the wrong verb form. In “I wish I could take part on his birthday,” the preposition pattern is also inaccurate. Capitalisation is inconsistent in “It is not possible.” Review past-tense forms, articles, and verb patterns after modals, then proofread punctuation and capital letters. More consistently accurate sentences would strengthen the range you already attempt.

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

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