Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-14

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 5.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter about a recent publication I saw on national sun magazine that explains my awka which are similar to each other except the accept of provision of good accessible road.

First and foremost, I support the point they listed about adequate learning environment and power supply. The standard of the educational level within the community is top notch which enables the students to attend international competition with a very wonderful outcome. In addition, electricity brings a lot of visibility to the town. Furthermore, the few things that my native home exceptionally such as good hospital and beautiful landmarks.

Lastly, when next you will visit with your team, I would like to take around the town to view the main attraction sites such as cave, national park and waterfalls which makes people to visit our community more often.

Thanks in anticipation. I look forward to hearing from your soon.

Your's faithfully,

Amaeze Ifeoma.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all three bullet points, though the development is uneven. You successfully state your disagreement with the article, mention specific features of your town (hospitals, landmarks, caves, waterfalls), and offer a guided tour. However, the connection to the prompt is sometimes unclear; for instance, the opening paragraph is difficult to follow, and the link between the article's claim about 'similar town centres' and your specific examples is not fully articulated. To improve, ensure your arguments directly counter the newspaper's claim by explaining why your town's unique features prevent it from being 'just like the others'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'First and foremost', 'In addition', and 'Furthermore'. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally disjointed. Some sentences, such as the opening statement, are grammatically convoluted, which obscures the logical flow. The transition between the points is sometimes mechanical. To reach a higher band, focus on ensuring that each sentence flows naturally into the next and that your referencing (e.g., 'the point they listed') is precise and clear.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message, using terms like 'top notch', 'visibility', and 'attraction sites'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'recent publication I saw on national sun magazine' and 'except the accept of provision'. These errors occasionally make the meaning slightly opaque. To improve, focus on learning common collocations and ensuring that your word choices are appropriate for a formal letter to an editor. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise descriptive adjectives would also be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect clarity. Examples include 'my awka which are similar to each other', 'few things that my native home exceptionally', and 'I would like to take around the town'. Punctuation and verb tense usage are also inconsistent, such as 'hearing from your soon'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevents a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct prepositional usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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