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. Cooper,
I hope you are both doing well. I was delighted to receive your invitation to Chris’s surprise birthday party. I can already imagine how thrilled Chris will be! He has always loved surprises, and with all his close friends and family around, I am sure this celebration will be truly special for him.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend the party as I have to be at the airport to receive one of my aunts in the evening on that day. I simply cannot reschedule it even though I would very much want to! I am really disappointed to miss such a wonderful occasion, but I know Chris will have an amazing time with everyone there.
However, I would love to make it up to him! I was thinking of taking Chris out for a special lunch the following weekend at his favourite restaurant. That way, I can celebrate his birthday with him in a more personal way and also hear all about the surprise party!
Thank you again for the kind invitation. I hope the party turns out to be a fantastic and memorable event. Please do pass on my best wishes to Chris!
Warm regards,
Lucas
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use natural collocation Original: receive Suggested revision: meet Why it matters: Meet is the natural verb for greeting someone at an airport.
- 2. Improve time phrasing Original: in the evening on that day Suggested revision: that evening Why it matters: This shorter time expression is more natural and precise.
- 3. Clarify the reference Original: reschedule it Suggested revision: change these plans Why it matters: The pronoun it has no clearly stated singular antecedent.
- 4. Correct conditional phrasing Original: would very much want to Suggested revision: would very much like to attend Why it matters: Would like to attend correctly expresses the unrealised wish.
- 5. Use a clearer transition Original: However Suggested revision: Instead Why it matters: Instead more directly introduces the alternative celebration plan.
- 6. Use concise wording Original: in a more personal way Suggested revision: more personally Why it matters: The adverb conveys the same meaning more concisely.
- 7. Avoid redundant praise Original: fantastic and memorable event Suggested revision: memorable event Why it matters: Memorable already communicates the intended positive evaluation.
- 8. Protect the surprise Original: to Chris! Suggested revision: to Chris after the party! Why it matters: Specifying after the party avoids any risk of revealing the planned surprise.
- 9. Make the plan specific Suggested revision: Add a proposed day and time for the lunch and ask whether Chris is likely to be free. Why it matters: The alternative meeting plan would be easier for the parents to coordinate with one concrete scheduling detail.
Suggested Rewrites
- receive meet
- in the evening on that day that evening
- reschedule it change these plans
- would very much want to would very much like to attend
- However Instead
- in a more personal way more personally
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response’s strongest feature is complete, well-balanced task fulfilment: it explains why Chris will enjoy the party, gives a credible reason for declining, and proposes a specific alternative celebration in an appropriately warm tone. Its limitations are minor rather than score-limiting, mainly a slightly awkward phrase about meeting an aunt and frequent exclamation marks. The best refinement is to retain the structure while making those few expressions more natural and restrained.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The letter fully develops all three bullet points, responds warmly to the invitation, and offers a clear alternative plan for lunch the following weekend.
As a refinement, specify the proposed day or ask the parents to help keep the later lunch discreet until after the surprise party.
Coherence and Cohesion
Each paragraph has a clear purpose and the progression from appreciation to explanation, alternative plan and closing is smooth and easy to follow.
Reduce the number of exclamation marks slightly so the otherwise effective progression feels more controlled.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is flexible, precise and appropriate to a warm semi-formal reply, with natural expressions such as “delighted,” “make it up to him” and “memorable event.”
Replace the slightly unnatural “receive one of my aunts” with “pick up my aunt” for maximum idiomatic precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of structures is accurately controlled, with effective subordination, referencing and punctuation and only rare minor awkwardness.
Maintain this control while clarifying the reference in “I simply cannot reschedule it” by naming the airport commitment directly.
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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.