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 are arrangingwill 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 in my hometown then and will be unable to attend the partywill be visiting my hometown at that time and can not make it to this party.
Chris will love this party, especially since his close friends from universityclose university friends will be there to celebrate with himcheer 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 momentsevents at his birthday party.
As much as I would like to attend the partybe present at the party, I must attend an appointmentI just can not miss an appointment to take my father to the doctor on the day of the partyon 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. ThereforeThat is why I will travel to my hometown two days before Chris'sChir's birthday and return thea day after his birthday party.
I willwould, however, meet him a week after his birthday and give him a giftpresent him with a gift from my side. When we meetOn that occasion, I hope to spend time outdoorssome time outdoors with him or even arrange dinner at my homea dinner party at my home.
Thank you once again for inviting me.
Yours sincerely,
Alfred Kinsey
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response is strongest in its complete, well-developed coverage of every bullet point, supported by clear paragraphing and an appropriately warm yet respectful tone. The main weakness is occasional imprecise or unnatural wording, together with a few minor slips, although these do not impede communication. The highest-priority improvement is to replace awkward expressions with more natural phrasing and proofread names and possessives carefully.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The letter fully explains why Chris will enjoy the party, gives a convincing reason for the absence, and provides a detailed alternative plan.
Refine the opening so the reason for being pleased about the invitation is expressed more naturally and directly.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information is logically sequenced in focused paragraphs, and cohesive devices guide the reader smoothly through the three required points.
Remove the slightly redundant contrast in I would, however, meet him so the final plan connects more naturally.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a good range of topic-appropriate vocabulary, but phrases such as a good reason to enjoy and a gift from my side are imprecise.
Choose more idiomatic expressions, for example a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and give him a present.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A varied range of complex structures is handled accurately, with only minor slips and occasional awkward construction.
Proofread small errors such as Chir's and streamline the relative clause about taking the father to the specialist.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
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.