Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-11-01

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 am writing to thank you for your invitation to chris's birthday surprise party, I was really delighted when I received your letter. Unfortunately, I won't be ble to attend the party.

First of all, I truely believe that chris will be thrilled by the surprise party, since college he was enjoying surprise parties and many times he happily participated in organizing surprise parties for our friends. He really enjoyed this time.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to be there because I am in the hospital doing some check ups. Two days ago. I felt ill and went to the doctor who adviced me to run some medical tests. Moreover, according to the doctors' advice, I should not get on a plane for a month due to high pressure which will negatively affect my health.

Therefore, I have previsouly planned to take a flight next month with all our college friends to surprise chris with a late birthday party which I hope he would like.

Thanks again for your invitation.

I hope you really enjoy your party.

Yours faithfully.

Diana.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three points clearly: you explain why Chris will enjoy the surprise, give a medical reason for not attending, and propose a later celebration with the college friends. The examples about Chris enjoying and helping organise past parties support your first point, while the flight restriction makes your absence understandable. The alternative plan is also relevant, though “next month” and the proposed flight could be made more specific, and the idea of a “late birthday party” is not fully explained. Overall, the purpose and your position remain clear, and the ideas are supported; developing the practical details of the later meeting would make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear progression from thanking the parents, to explaining Chris’s likely reaction, to giving your reason for absence and suggesting another celebration. Paragraphing helps distinguish these points, and connectors such as “First of all,” “Moreover,” and “Therefore” guide the reader. This gives the response a coherent overall arrangement. However, some linking is mechanical, and “Unfortunately” is repeated at the start of two paragraphs. The sentence fragment “Two days ago. I felt ill…” interrupts the flow, while “He really enjoyed this time” has an unclear reference. Use fewer formulaic transitions and connect related details more smoothly to strengthen cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for a personal letter, including relevant expressions such as “surprise party,” “medical tests,” and “according to the doctors’ advice.” The meaning is generally clear, and the tone is appropriately polite. There are, however, several spelling errors, including “truely,” “adviced,” and “previsouly,” as well as inaccurate or awkward choices such as “doing some check ups” and “high pressure.” These errors do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Check spelling carefully and learn common collocations for medical situations and travel restrictions; more accurate phrasing would make your vocabulary sound more controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, for example, the clause beginning “since college” and the sentence explaining that doctors advised you not to fly. The main message remains understandable, but errors in verb forms, sentence boundaries, and punctuation are noticeable. “Since college he was enjoying” needs a more suitable tense, and “Two days ago. I felt ill” incorrectly separates a time phrase from its sentence. The opening also joins two independent clauses with a comma. Practise forming accurate past-tense sentences and punctuating longer clauses; then proofread for consistent capitalisation of names and sentence endings. Greater control of these patterns would improve accuracy.

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