Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-08

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have just read an article in a national newspaper which claims that town centres in your country all look very similar to each other. You don't fully agree with this opinion.

Write a letter to the editor of the newspaper. In your letter

• say which points in the article you agree with
• explain ways in which your town centre is different from most other town centres
• offer to give a guided tour of your town to the writer of the article

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to give my opinion about the article in a well-known newspaper that says all the town centres look similar, and I believe that it is the misrepresentation.

Initially, the information about its history was completely correct, and actually it was informative to a stranger in a city. However, the middle part which says about the similarity of the town was misleading and false.

I would like to explain that our town centres have a different colour on almost every street and a unique design which makes our centres look different than others.

I would appreciate if you could please join mefor tour.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the development of the required points. While you addressed the three bullet points, the ideas are underdeveloped. For instance, the explanation of how your town is different is vague, mentioning only 'colour' and 'unique design' without specific examples. To improve, you must expand on your points with descriptive details to reach the word count and provide a more convincing argument. The letter also lacks a formal closing, which is a standard requirement for this task type.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which is appropriate for the format. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat abrupt. You use basic cohesive devices like 'Initially' and 'However', but the transitions between your agreement with the article and your counter-argument are mechanical. The lack of length prevents the development of a more sophisticated flow. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and use a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision expected at higher bands. Phrases like 'misrepresentation' and 'informative' are used correctly, but the overall lexical choice is quite basic. There are also minor errors, such as 'join mefor tour', which is a spacing error. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more specific, topic-related vocabulary regarding urban planning or architecture, and ensure you proofread for small mechanical errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentences, but the range is limited. There are grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'the middle part which says about the similarity', which is awkward phrasing, and 'join mefor tour', which is missing an article ('a tour'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently relative to the short length of the text. To improve, focus on using more varied sentence structures, such as relative clauses or conditional sentences, and pay closer attention to articles and prepositions.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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