Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · 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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to let you know that I don't agree with the article you released in "The Himalayan Times" regarding all the town centres in our country, Nepal being similar. As a responsible citizen I believe we should provide correct information to the national newspaper readers.

I agree with the fact that the government is trying to impose same kind of rules to all three durbar square areas of the country, to make it vehicle prohibited and litter free area. Furthermore, I was impressed by your research related to my locality and people as you mentioned their in depth stories and struggles.

However, I would like to state the fact that my town centre, Bhaktapur is significantly different others. Firstly, I would like to attract your attention in the road pavements of my town, which is paved by bricks instead of concrete to make it readily absorbable when it rains and reduce pollution. Secondly, all the temples are made in pagoda style and you can find temples built in every five minutes walking distance. These two are the main reasons how my area is not similar to other towns of my country.

It can be an honest mistake to misinterpret the information, but it would be an honor if you could spare some time to visit my town and I would provide you the tour and show you the unseen facts of Bhaktapur. Please let me know your availability so that we could schedule a day for the visit.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Shirisha Kayastha

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly stated your disagreement with the article, provided specific examples of how Bhaktapur differs from other town centres (brick pavements and pagoda-style architecture), and extended a polite invitation for a guided tour. Your tone is appropriate for a letter to an editor, maintaining a formal yet assertive stance. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the context of the task. To reach a higher band, ensure that your opening paragraph clearly outlines your position without needing to reference the specific newspaper name, as the prompt implies a general context.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing specific points, and a professional closing. You use transition signals such as 'Furthermore', 'However', and 'Firstly' to guide the reader through your argument. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate distinct ideas. While the flow is generally smooth, some cohesive devices feel slightly mechanical. For instance, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be more fluid. Overall, the information is presented in a coherent manner that is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message with precision. Phrases like 'in depth stories', 'readily absorbable', and 'misinterpret the information' show a good command of language. There are some minor collocation issues, such as 'impose same kind of rules' (should be 'the same kind of rules') and 'built in every five minutes walking distance' (should be 'within a five-minute walk'). Despite these minor inaccuracies, your vocabulary is varied enough to express your ideas clearly and effectively throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'my town centre, Bhaktapur is significantly different others' (missing 'from'), and 'make it vehicle prohibited' (should be 'vehicle-free'). Punctuation is generally accurate, though there are occasional missing articles or prepositions. However, these errors do not impede communication, and the majority of your sentences are clear and grammatically sound. To improve, focus on consistent use of articles and prepositions in complex sentence structures.

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

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