Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-19

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 write with regard to an unpleasant information I read from your newspaper claiming that our town centres looked familiar with each other. I generally disagree with this argument.

The major views on the national newsletter that I quite agree with includes: first, the town hall is spacious. With that said, I have received excellent reviews from visitors who made use of it for their events. Besides, we haven't had any complain about our services. Second, the cost of booking the facility is affordable. However, we are considerate to the local people and investors. We understand that finances can be tight.

Furthermore, I am sure our city centres make a significant difference when compare to other halls nearby. To give an example, we offer discount services to individuals who had previously made use of our city halls. I am delighted to inform you that this is a good offer.

Personally, I would like to volunteer my time and energy for a tour because it will enable the writer to witness things for himself. Additionally, it will clear all doubts about our centres and likely bring us into the limelight.

Thank you. I look forward to your prompt response and further discussion.

Yours faithfully,

Rosemary Adibe

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points, but there is a significant misunderstanding of the prompt. The task asks you to discuss 'town centres' in a general sense, but you have focused almost exclusively on a 'town hall' facility and its booking services. This shift in focus means the response does not fully address the prompt's core topic regarding the appearance and character of town centres. While you maintain a clear position throughout, the development of your ideas is limited by this misinterpretation of the subject matter. To improve, ensure you focus on the broader urban environment rather than a specific building or service.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized into paragraphs, each addressing a specific requirement of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'To give an example', and 'Additionally' to connect your ideas. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by the confusion between the town centre and the town hall. The referencing is occasionally unclear, and some transitions feel slightly mechanical. To reach a higher band, focus on ensuring that each paragraph flows naturally into the next and that your cohesive devices are used to link related concepts more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'limelight', 'considerate', and 'unpleasant'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'unpleasant information' (should be 'unpleasant article' or 'disturbing report'), 'looked familiar with each other' (should be 'looked similar to each other'), and 'complain' (should be 'complaints'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your writing. Expanding your vocabulary to include more natural collocations and ensuring correct word forms will help improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'The major views... includes' (subject-verb agreement), 'when compare to' (should be 'when compared to'), and 'individuals who had previously made use of' (tense usage). While these errors rarely impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and ensure that your verb tenses are consistent throughout the letter.

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

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