Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing this formal letter to contradict your opinion published in the newspaper article on Saturday 22, 2026. As per the article it is stated that all the town centers in Canada look alike which is realistically not appropriate and the reasons will be stated in this letter ahead.
I do agree with the notion you said that the stores follow the standardized "opening and closing hours". Thereby, there is no confusion among people about the store timings. Moreover, it gives enough time for cleaning, sanitizing and organizing the stores. There being said, town centers run smoothly everyday having enough new stock and products for sale with new offers.
Besides this, the map of the town centers across Canada does varies depending upon the location. For Example in Peterborough the town center is in circular layout and the one in Oshawa is rectangular in shape which makes a big difference in the structure. I would appreciate if you can visit Peterborough town center one day and validate my Evaluations. I would be more than happy to company you for the guided tour as I am deeply inspired in research. I will look forward to see you soon!
Sincerely,
Vaishnavi Khipal
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0
You have addressed all three bullet points of the prompt effectively. You clearly state your disagreement with the article, provide specific examples regarding town layouts in Peterborough and Oshawa to support your argument, and extend a polite invitation for a guided tour. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to an editor. To reach a higher band, ensure your arguments are more nuanced; for instance, while mentioning store hours is relevant, focusing more on the unique architectural or cultural aspects of town centres would have strengthened your position against the newspaper's claim.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The letter is logically organized with clear paragraphing. You use transition signals such as 'Moreover', 'Besides this', and 'For Example' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are slightly awkward, such as 'There being said', which is not a standard idiomatic expression. The progression of ideas is generally smooth, though the connection between the store hours and the overall uniqueness of a town centre could be more tightly linked to improve the flow of your argument.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'standardized', 'validate', and 'evaluations'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'realistically not appropriate' is an unnatural way to express disagreement, and 'company you' is a misuse of the verb 'accompany'. Additionally, 'deeply inspired in research' is not a standard collocation. Focusing on more precise word choices will help you convey your ideas with greater clarity and sophistication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors. For instance, 'the map of the town centers... does varies' contains a subject-verb agreement error. You also have issues with articles and prepositions, such as 'in the newspaper article' (should be 'in a newspaper article') and 'look forward to see you' (should be 'look forward to seeing you'). These errors are frequent but do not impede overall communication.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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