Letter to Friend's Parents About a Surprise Birthday Party

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,

Annotated response

7 correction notes

I am so glad to hear that you are going to have a surprise birthday party for Chris, which I believe he will enjoy so much. But, as much as I would love to surprise my good friend, the problem is that I will not be able to because I will at that time.

Next week, I will need to complete the quarterly financial audit works of my company the government tax authority. can be so complicated and painful at times that we even have to work very late at night to get the job done.

Of course, whether I attend his surprise party or not, I am pretty sure that Chris will fully enjoy the occasion because he will be surrounded by many of his well-wishers to cheer him up. Not only that but also Chris has such a cheerful personality that he never lets a good occasion pass by without enjoying it! And that is exactly why I have already made a plan to see him at a horse racing competition on the next month so that we can both enjoy some time together!

Yours sincerely,

Glenn Moore

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.0

This is a warm, clearly purposeful letter with developed explanations and a concrete alternative plan to see Chris. The strongest feature is the fluent use of varied sentences to explain the work commitment and describe Chris’s personality. The incorrect surname in the greeting reduces attention to the task details, while a few awkward word choices and intrusive commas limit precision. Separating the meeting plan from the party explanation would also improve focus.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

Task Achievement

7.0

The letter explains why Chris would enjoy the party, gives a developed reason for absence, and specifies a meeting next month at a horse racing competition. However, the opening addresses Mr and Mrs Patrick rather than the requested Mr and Mrs Collins.

Coherence and Cohesion

7.0

The purpose and explanation for absence are easy to follow, with clear paragraphing and effective references to Chris. The final paragraph combines the reasons he will enjoy the party with the alternative meeting plan, making that section less focused.

Lexical Resource

7.0

Vocabulary such as “quarterly financial audit” and “well-wishers” conveys the situation clearly and shows a useful range. “Come clean” suggests admitting wrongdoing, while “audit works” is an awkward choice for the work being described.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.0

A range of relative clauses and other complex structures communicates the ideas accurately, and many sentences are error-free. Unnecessary commas in “the party, next week” and “the Sapphire coast, next month” occasionally interrupt otherwise clear sentences.

More responses with feedback

View all 3 responses (7.0–7.5)