Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-21

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 5.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I recently read your news article that all the town centres in our country that are similar. I am partially agree this statement.

In our town centre some areas and shops are similar to others like street food shops, cinemas and many more places. Roads are also similar. Rules are also same like parking violence and speed limit as well.

On the other hand, in our town have many unique and traditional places like temples and traditional buildings. Which are old may be 2000 years old. All the building and temples made with unique stones same like Taj Mahal. Our culture is also different from other

towns.

According to me if you want to see those building and temples . I will give you guide tour also explain why our town is different from others.

Thanks .

Your faithfully,

kamalpreet singh.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: agreeing with the article, explaining the town's uniqueness, and offering a tour. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The explanation of the town's uniqueness is somewhat repetitive and lacks specific detail, and the tone is not consistently formal, which is expected in a letter to an editor. To improve, you should expand on your arguments with more descriptive language and ensure the letter meets the length requirement to allow for full development of your points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the agreement and the counter-argument is abrupt. Some sentences are fragmented, such as 'Which are old may be 2000 years old,' which disrupts the flow of information. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore,' 'consequently,' 'in contrast') to connect your ideas more smoothly and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, unified focus.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive. You rely on simple descriptors like 'similar' and 'different' throughout the text. There are also errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'parking violence' (likely meaning 'parking violations') and 'give you guide tour' (should be 'give you a guided tour'). To reach a higher band, you need to use a broader range of vocabulary to describe your town's features and express your opinions with more precision. Avoid repeating the same words and try to incorporate more sophisticated adjectives and nouns related to urban planning and culture.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede communication. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('I am partially agree'), missing articles ('in our town have'), and incorrect sentence structures ('All the building and temples made with unique stones'). The range of grammatical structures is limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, including correct verb tenses and the use of articles. Once you have a solid foundation, try to incorporate more complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses or conditional sentences, to demonstrate a wider range of control.

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

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