Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-15

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,

I am writing this letter to you regarding an article in a national newspaper about the town centres in my country, that they all look alike. I read this article in the morning.

Actually, i do not agree with your statement. I have been living here from childhood. This country attracts me a lot. I am so familiar with the town centres.

In my country, we have different town centres and each town have their own identity. Each town represent a unique view and have a historic impact on the surrounding. I would like to talk about the Buddha town, which is so different from all other town. Basically, this town shows the importance of peace and calmness. The big painting of buddha at the entrance, is assembled in the remembrance of buddha.

I would be pleased to offer you a guided tour of this town, in order to clear this misconception.

Best regards

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly state your disagreement with the article, provide a specific example of a unique town, and offer a guided tour. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention that your town is different, the explanation remains quite brief and lacks depth. To improve, you should expand on the specific features that make the town unique, such as architectural styles or local customs, rather than just stating it has a 'historic impact'. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to an editor, though it could be more formal.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some basic cohesive devices like 'In my country' and 'I would like to talk about'. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical, and the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure would benefit from more sophisticated linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different points required by the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your message clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'misconception', 'identity', and 'historic impact'. However, there is a lack of variety and some word choice errors, such as 'assembled in the remembrance of buddha' (which is slightly unnatural; 'erected in memory of' would be better). You rely on simple adjectives like 'big' and 'different'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary and collocations that demonstrate a wider range of expression.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentences, but there are several grammatical errors throughout the text. For example, 'each town have their own identity' should be 'each town has its own identity' (subject-verb agreement). You also have issues with articles and capitalization, such as 'Dear sir' (should be 'Dear Sir') and 'buddha' (should be 'Buddha'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall accuracy of the writing. Increasing your control over basic grammar and punctuation is essential.

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

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