Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to explain my views on the town centres in my city. They are one of the main attractions of my city. They are not only picturesque but also demonstrate great creativity.

However, some buildings are similar in height and architectural style, which makes them look alike at first sight. Despite this, every building has a unique story behind it. For example, the town house near the church is based on the story of Jesus.

Moreover, all the town houses have unique structures, which makes them different from most other town centres. When you enter the area, you will discover its true beauty. Nevertheless, all the town houses operate on solar energy, making them environmentally friendly and energy-efficient.

Moving forward, if you have some time to visit my city, I would be happy to give you a guided tour and explain all the features and interesting facts about these buildings. Whenever you have time, please let me know about your visit.

With regards to

Navjeet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You acknowledge the article's claim about architectural similarity, explain the unique features of your town, and extend a polite invitation for a tour. The tone is appropriate for a letter to an editor. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the explanation of why your town is different relies heavily on the mention of 'solar energy' and 'unique structures' without providing enough descriptive detail to fully convince the reader. To improve, ensure that your arguments are more thoroughly supported with specific, vivid examples rather than general statements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Moreover', and 'Nevertheless' to link your ideas. While the progression is clear, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure follows the conventions of a formal letter. To reach a higher band, try to vary your linking words further and ensure that the relationship between sentences is more fluid, avoiding repetitive sentence starters like 'all the town houses'.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using words like 'picturesque', 'architectural', and 'environmentally friendly'. However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, particularly the frequent use of 'town houses' and 'city'. There are no significant errors in word choice that impede communication, but the range is not yet broad enough to be considered 'flexible' or 'sophisticated'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise synonyms and collocations related to urban planning or architecture to demonstrate a wider lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'They are not only picturesque but also demonstrate great creativity' and 'If you have some time to visit my city, I would be happy to give you a guided tour'. Most of your sentences are grammatically accurate, and errors are rare and do not cause confusion. However, the range of complex structures is somewhat limited. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate a wider variety of subordinate clauses and perhaps some passive voice constructions to enhance the formal tone of the letter.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.