Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)
Dear Mr and Mrs Collins,
Hope you are doing well, I got your invitation about surprise birthday party of Chris. It will be a very memorable day for him by seeing that you guys have planned this big surprise for him and seeing all the guests invited.
I am very sorry that I will not be able to attend Chris's surprise party, as on the very next day I have an very important exam and need to prepare for that. I need to reach the test center at 7 in the morning. Due to the circumstances I will not be able to join you guys in the party and surprise Chris.
But, on the very next day I promise I will come to your house to wish Chris about his Birthday. I also, got a present for him and I think he will be very happy after seeing the present.
Thank You,
Keyur
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
You address all three required points: you explain that Chris will enjoy seeing the guests and the effort his parents have made, give your exam as the reason for not attending, and suggest visiting the next day with a present. The reason for your absence is clear and relevant. However, the explanation of why the surprise will be enjoyable is brief, and the alternative plan could be more fully specified—for example, proposing a time to visit and checking whether it suits the family. The letter is appropriate to the situation and communicates its purpose, but some ideas are less developed than others. Adding a little more detail to the celebration and arranging the follow-up visit more precisely would make the response more complete.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The letter has a clear overall arrangement: you acknowledge the invitation, explain why you cannot attend, and then offer an alternative visit. Paragraphing helps distinguish these points, and transitions such as “as” and “But” make the sequence understandable. Some linking is less natural or slightly mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “on the very next day” and “I will not be able to” in close succession. The opening also joins two complete thoughts with a comma: “Hope you are doing well, I got your invitation…”. Use a full stop or a suitable conjunction there. More varied, precise transitions and clearer links between the ideas would strengthen the progression.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main message, with relevant expressions such as “surprise party,” “important exam,” and “test center.” The reader can understand your intentions throughout. However, several choices are awkward or informal for a letter to your friend’s parents: “you guys” is conversational, “wish Chris about his Birthday” is not a natural collocation, and “seeing the present” is less precise than describing his reaction to receiving it. “Memorable day” and “big surprise” also repeat fairly general wording rather than adding detail. Aim for more natural phrases such as “celebrate with him,” “wish him a happy birthday,” and “see the gift I’ve chosen for him.” This would improve precision and control of tone.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You use a mixture of simple sentences and a few longer clauses, including “I will not be able to attend … as … I have … an exam,” so you can express reasons and future plans. Meaning remains clear, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. In “Hope you are doing well, I got your invitation,” two independent clauses are joined only by a comma; separate them or add a conjunction. The article in “an very important exam” should be “a,” and “I also, got” has an unnecessary comma. In “I promise I will come,” the tense is understandable, though “I’ll come” would sound more natural in this context. Greater accuracy with articles, punctuation, and sentence boundaries, alongside more varied sentence patterns, would improve control.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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