Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-25

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're doing great. I am writing this letter to express my gratitude on the invitation of Chris's birthday. I have been waiting for this for the last two years. This year, Chris is coming to his home to meet their parents after completing his study abroad. He will enjoy this special event not only with their siblings but also with their childhood's freinds.

I am wholeheartedly sorry for the absence, as I have an important appointment coinciding with this event. I will not be able cancel this, particularly, this medical visit, which I got after three months of waiting. I hope this gathering will become a milestone.

I would appreciate it if you could let me know the alternative dates that work for you, so we can catch up for a dinner or lunch along with our family members. I had already took days off from my work to spent quality time together.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Gurdeep Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three points clearly: you explain why Chris may enjoy seeing family and childhood friends, give a reason for missing the event, and suggest meeting for lunch or dinner on another date. The medical appointment is a specific, credible explanation, and your request for dates helps move the plan forward. The ideas are relevant and the purpose of the letter is clear throughout. To make the response more fully developed, explain more directly why the surprise itself would appeal to Chris, rather than focusing mainly on who will attend. Also make the alternative plan more definite—for example, propose a particular weekend or say you will contact Chris after the party to arrange a meal.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression: appreciation and reasons Chris may enjoy the event, an apology and explanation for your absence, then a proposed alternative meeting. Paragraphing supports this structure, and phrases such as “I am writing” and “I would appreciate it if” make the purpose of each section easy to follow. The links between ideas are generally clear, including the contrast introduced by “not only … but also.” Some transitions and references could be more precise: “this event” and “this gathering” refer back to the party, but the shift from the appointment to “I hope this gathering will become a milestone” feels abrupt. A more explicit link between your apology and your wishes for the celebration would make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range for a personal letter, including expressions such as “express my gratitude,” “coinciding with this event,” and “catch up.” These choices show an attempt to use more formal or less common language, and the meaning remains understandable. However, some collocations and word forms are inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision: “gratitude on the invitation” would be more naturally expressed as gratitude for the invitation, while “childhood’s friends” is not the usual phrase. There is also a spelling error in “freinds.” To strengthen your vocabulary, favour natural, precise combinations over elevated wording that does not quite fit the context, and proofread spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the “not only … but also” construction and the conditional request, “I would appreciate it if you could let me know.” Most sentences communicate their meaning, and the errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the letter. Some grammatical problems remain, however. In “I will not be able cancel this,” the infinitive needs “to”; “I had already took” should use the past participle “taken”; and “to spent quality time” should be “to spend.” There is also a pronoun-agreement issue in “Chris … meet their parents” and “their siblings.” Review verb forms after auxiliaries and infinitives, and keep pronouns consistent.

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

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