Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-24

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 5.5)

Dear sir,

Here I would like to discuss about the article which is given the newspaper. I would like to highlights some points on this.

Mostly the things what are mentioned on the article I do not completely agree because reason behind this is all towns are never similar because of the structure made. All have different kind of out structure different views and different kind of protocols.

If we talk about my town they have all kinds of supermarkets, skyscrapers and even the technology is advanced so we can not compare that it is same. Where as some towns are still not developed due to some economic crisis going around.

Well here I would like to share that in my town there are many sight viewing like aquarium, small forest, zoo and much more so we can write a article on my town and give a better view on that. And before putting my pen down i would like to share that we have a very good sunset view.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points, which is a positive start. However, the development of your ideas is quite limited. For instance, when explaining how your town is different, you mention 'supermarkets' and 'skyscrapers', but these are features common to many modern towns, which actually contradicts your argument that your town is unique. To improve, you should focus on specific, unique cultural or historical aspects of your town. Additionally, the tone is somewhat informal for a letter to a newspaper editor, and you failed to explicitly offer the guided tour as requested, instead suggesting the writer could 'write an article' on your town. Ensure you follow all instructions precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is divided into paragraphs, which helps with the overall structure. However, the progression of ideas is often disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is quite mechanical and sometimes inaccurate, such as 'Well here I would like to share that' and 'And before putting my pen down'. These transitions feel unnatural. Furthermore, the referencing is occasionally unclear; for example, in the second paragraph, you refer to 'the structure made' and 'all kinds of protocols' without clearly explaining what these refer to. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would significantly enhance the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. You frequently use basic phrases like 'all kinds of' and 'some'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'sight viewing' (should be 'sights' or 'tourist attractions') and 'given the newspaper' (should be 'in the newspaper'). You attempt to use some descriptive language, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to urban planning or town features, and pay closer attention to how words are combined in English to sound more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'discuss about' (discuss is transitive), 'the article which is given the newspaper' (passive voice error), and 'all towns are never similar' (awkward phrasing). You rely heavily on simple sentence structures, and your attempts at more complex sentences often contain errors, such as 'Mostly the things what are mentioned on the article I do not completely agree'. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, specifically subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions, before attempting more complex grammatical structures.

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

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