Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-21

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 was very delighted to receive your letter after so long. I hope you and all family are in good health. It would be a very exceptional birthday plan for Chris as he is very fond of surprises.

Regretfully, I am intimating that it would not be possible for me attend his birthday party because we already had a family plan to visit my grandmother who is seriously ill. We already booked the tickets in advance to save some money. I wish, if I could receive your letter a bit earlier I can response differently.

Wrapping up my letter, I want to intimate that after coming back I will make a plan to visit your place in last week of this month and will have fun by visiting water park with Chris. I am also aiming to discover the famous museum with Chris in the same trip. It will be another amazing surprize for him and a very exceptional experience for him.

Best regards,

Umaima Kamran

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 for missing the party (a visit to your seriously ill grandmother, with tickets already booked), and suggest meeting later in the month. The proposed water-park visit and museum trip make the alternative plan specific and relevant. The main limitation is that some ideas are asserted rather than fully extended: for example, you say Chris is “very fond of surprises” but do not explain what makes this particular party especially enjoyable for him. The later plan is clearer, though its timing could be made more precise. Overall, the letter fulfils the task and communicates a consistent, appropriate message; adding a little more personal detail would strengthen the development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall shape: an opening, an explanation for declining, and a final paragraph proposing another meeting, followed by an appropriate sign-off. This makes the main progression easy to follow. You also use some linking expressions, such as “Regretfully” and “after coming back,” to signal relationships between ideas. However, the paragraph openings “Wrapping up my letter” and “I am also aiming” feel somewhat mechanical, and the final paragraph combines the future visit, two activities, and the surprise idea without a particularly smooth progression. The reference to “after coming back” could also be clearer about when you will return. More natural transitions and tighter links between the plan’s details would make cohesion more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task and includes some less common choices, such as “seriously ill,” “in advance,” and “exceptional.” The reader can understand your reasons and proposed activities throughout. However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural in this context: “intimating” is not a natural way to announce that you cannot attend, and “response differently” uses the wrong word form. “Very exceptional” is also an awkward combination, while “surprize” is misspelled. These issues do not prevent understanding, but they limit the precision and naturalness of the letter. Aim for familiar, accurate collocations rather than formal-sounding words that do not fit the situation, and check spelling before finishing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more developed sentence forms, and the main message remains clear. For example, the sentence explaining that you cannot attend because of a family visit gives a reason in a complex structure. Some grammatical errors remain, however. In “it would not be possible for me attend,” the infinitive needs “to”; “I wish, if I could receive your letter a bit earlier I can response differently” has an unclear conditional structure and inconsistent verb forms; and “in last week of this month” needs an article or a different time expression. The sentence about making a plan also shifts between “will make” and “will have” in a way that could be more controlled. Review infinitive patterns, conditionals, and articles, while keeping the clear sentence variety you already attempt.

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

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