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
Sample Response
Dear Mr and Mrs Jones,
I am excited to hear that you will be arranging a surprise birthday party for Chris next month. I am honoured to be invited to this party that will give us a good reason to enjoy. However, I will be visiting my hometown at that time and can not make it to this party.
Chris will love this party, especially since his close university friends will be there to cheer him up. It will also be a fabulous occasion for him as he is stressed out a bit from a few deadlines in his new office. I am sure you will have many memorable events at his birthday party.
As much as I would like to be present at the party, I just can not miss an appointment to take my father to the doctor on the same day. The specialist doctor, to whom I will take my father, comes from a different state and is available only for three days. That is why I will travel to my hometown two days before Chir's birthday and return a day after his birthday party.
I would, however, meet him a week after his birthday and present him with a gift from my side. On that occasion, I hope to spend some time outdoors with him or even arrange a dinner party at my home.
Thank you once again for inviting me.
Yours sincerely,
Alfred Kinsey
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use natural phrasing Original: stressed out a bit from a few deadlines Suggested revision: a little stressed by several deadlines Why it matters: The revision uses a more natural preposition and smoother wording for the cause of stress.
- 2. Use precise workplace term Original: office Suggested revision: job Why it matters: Deadlines belong to a person's work or job, whereas 'office' mainly refers to the place.
- 3. Use natural collocation Original: events Suggested revision: moments Why it matters: 'Memorable moments' is the natural expression for enjoyable experiences at a party.
- 4. Correct form and tone Original: I just can not miss Suggested revision: I simply cannot miss Why it matters: 'Cannot' is written as one word, and 'simply' is smoother in this polite explanation.
- 5. Correct name spelling Original: Chir's Suggested revision: Chris's Why it matters: The friend's name is misspelled in this possessive form.
- 6. Use definite future Original: would Suggested revision: will Why it matters: 'Will' is appropriate because this sentence states a definite future plan rather than a hypothetical action.
- 7. Use natural expression Original: a gift from my side Suggested revision: a gift from me Why it matters: 'A gift from me' is the idiomatic English expression.
- 8. Sentence rewrite Original: I am honoured to be invited to this party that will give us a good reason to enjoy. Suggested revision: I am honoured to be invited to the party, which will be a wonderful occasion for everyone. Why it matters: The rewrite replaces the awkward expression 'a reason to enjoy' with a clear description of the occasion.
- 9. Sentence rewrite Original: The specialist doctor, to whom I will take my father, comes from a different state and is available only for three days. Suggested revision: The specialist my father needs to see comes from another state and is available for only three days. Why it matters: This version avoids the awkward relative clause and expresses the relationship between the patient and doctor clearly.
Suggested Rewrites
- stressed out a bit from a few deadlines a little stressed by several deadlines
- office job
- events moments
- I just can not miss I simply cannot miss
- Chir's Chris's
- would will
Why this response received Band 7.5
The letter fully covers why Chris will enjoy the party, gives a convincing reason for the writer's absence, and proposes a specific alternative meeting a week later. Its strongest features are appropriate warmth and clear paragraphing; the main limitation is a small number of awkward collocations and a name typo. Prioritise polishing those expressions while preserving the well-developed, considerate message.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The communicative purpose is fully achieved, all three bullet points are well developed, and the warm, respectful tone suits the recipients.
Make the alternative plan fully definite by choosing either the outdoor activity or dinner and suggesting a specific day or time.
Coherence and Cohesion
Clear paragraphing separates the response to the invitation, Chris's likely enjoyment, the absence reason, and the later meeting plan.
Remove the repeated explanation of travelling to the hometown from the opening so each paragraph contributes distinct information.
Lexical Resource
A good range of language conveys gratitude, personal circumstances, and future plans, though a few collocations are unnatural.
Refine phrases such as 'a good reason to celebrate', 'memorable moments', and 'give him a gift', and correct Chris's name consistently.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses varied sentence structures with good overall control, while minor modal, spelling, and relative-clause issues remain.
Use 'cannot' consistently, prefer 'I will meet him' for the firm plan, and simplify the sentence about taking the father to the specialist.
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IELTS General Training Writing Task 1
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
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.