Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-11

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 7.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my disagreement with the recent article that I read in your newspaper, The Times, which states that all of the country's town centers look the same.

Although I agree with some of the points mentioned in the article. One of them, which I found quite fascinating, is the easy availability of public transport. It highlights the fact that the frequency of local buses is only 30 minutes, which is true in terms of the transport facilities in our city.

Additionally, I would like to emphasize that the town center in my city still maintains its historical position and demonstrates a wide variety of cultural heritage. Most of the buildings, such as libraries and museums, still give off a traditional look, unlike other modern town centers. In addition, there is a lively farmers' market every weekend where residents sell homemade food, crafts and fresh produce.

I would be delighted to show the writer around my town and demonstrate these differences in person. A guided tour would provide an opportunity to visit the historic district, the local market and some of the independent businesses mentioned above.

I hope you will consider my comments for a future edition of the newspaper.

Yours faithfully,

Akshay Kumar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly stated your disagreement with the article, provided specific examples of how your town differs (historical buildings and the farmers' market), and extended a polite invitation for a guided tour. Your tone is appropriate for a letter to an editor, and your position is consistent throughout the response. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the task requirements, demonstrating a clear understanding of the purpose of the letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph has a central theme, and you have used cohesive devices such as 'Additionally,' 'Although,' and 'In addition' to link your ideas effectively. The progression of information is smooth, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task. The use of referencing is clear, and the overall structure supports the reader's understanding of your argument without any confusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, using phrases like 'cultural heritage,' 'independent businesses,' and 'maintains its historical position' effectively. The word choice is generally precise and appropriate for the context. While the vocabulary is functional and clear, it could be slightly more sophisticated to reach the highest band. There are no significant errors in word choice or spelling that impede communication, and you successfully use topic-specific vocabulary related to town planning and community life.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures with good control. For example, the use of subordinate clauses in 'Although I agree with some of the points mentioned in the article' is accurate. There is a minor grammatical error in the second paragraph: 'Although I agree with some of the points mentioned in the article. One of them...' should be a single sentence or connected differently, as the first part is a fragment. However, your control of punctuation and tense is generally strong, and the majority of your sentences are error-free.

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

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