Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-26

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 read your article recently claiming that in my entire country all city centers appeared similar to each other, and I am disagree with this view point to great extend. Undoubtedly, due to restaurant chains, cafe and shopping facilities featured in town centers make them seems similar.

However, my city is blend of strong modern infrastructure and old historic monuments, which differencite it from other cities

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it is only 70 words long. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. While you mention the article and state a disagreement, the points are not developed. You failed to explain in detail how your town is different, and the offer of a guided tour is completely missing. To improve, you must expand on each bullet point with specific examples and ensure you meet the length requirement to allow for full development of your ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The response is too brief to demonstrate effective paragraphing or a logical flow of ideas. While there is a basic attempt to use a transition word ('However'), the lack of a clear structure and the abrupt ending make the text feel incomplete. To improve, you should organize your letter into distinct paragraphs: one for the introduction, one for each bullet point, and a concluding sentence. Using a wider range of cohesive devices, such as 'furthermore' or 'consequently,' would also help connect your ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and contains errors that hinder precision. For example, you used 'disagree with this view point to great extend' (should be 'extent') and 'differencite' (spelling error). The range of vocabulary is insufficient to express complex ideas about urban planning or local history. To achieve a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and ensure accurate spelling. Expanding your range of descriptive adjectives and topic-specific vocabulary related to town centers will significantly improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are several grammatical errors that impact the clarity of your writing. For instance, 'I am disagree' is incorrect; it should be 'I disagree.' Additionally, the sentence 'due to restaurant chains... make them seems similar' is grammatically fragmented and lacks a clear subject-verb agreement. The range of structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and attempt to incorporate more complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses or conditional sentences, while ensuring they are punctuated correctly.

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

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