Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-27

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 hope this correspondence finds you in good health. Your recent article about similarity in town centres across nation has caught my attention and with due respect I would like to mention, your sources are not completely correct.

In your article, I am in support of few points-town centres need an uplifting as it's been a while that renovation been carried out. Additionally, some of areas allow free entry for the visitors which should be changed and at least a minimum fee should be implied.

Moreover, town centre of the place I reside is marvellous and I can admit it defers from the other ones. Firstly, maintenance is done every month and results are visible; areas look neat and clean. Secondly, there is a small fee for the entry. Lastly, it's surrounded by AI camera so if someone caught littering there is a huge fine. I haven't witnessed such facilities or rules elsewhere I visited.

Personally, I can give you a brief tour of my town centre and afterwards you are free to make your judgement.

Let me know a good time whenever you're available. Also, if need more details I'm happy to help you via images and videos.

Warm Regards,

sam

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly state your position regarding the article, explain how your town differs, and extend an invitation for a tour. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to an editor. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, when mentioning that your town is 'marvellous', the reasons provided (maintenance, entry fees, and cameras) are a bit simplistic. To reach a higher band, you should expand on how these features specifically make your town unique compared to the 'similar' town centres mentioned in the article. Overall, the task is fulfilled, but the depth of argument could be improved.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organised with clear paragraphing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Lastly' to structure your arguments. While these are effective, the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical. For instance, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. Referencing is generally clear, though some phrasing, such as 'the place I reside', is slightly awkward. Overall, the progression of ideas is easy to follow, and the letter maintains a consistent focus throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using words like 'correspondence', 'renovation', and 'marvellous'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, you use 'implied' instead of 'imposed' regarding fees, and 'defers' instead of 'differs'. Additionally, 'AI camera' is a bit informal; 'surveillance cameras' or 'CCTV' would be more appropriate in this context. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise vocabulary usage to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'across nation' (missing article), 'it's been a while that renovation been carried out' (missing auxiliary verb), and 'if someone caught littering' (missing passive voice). Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear. To improve, focus on article usage, verb tense consistency, and passive voice construction. The punctuation is generally functional, though the use of hyphens and commas could be more precise in certain complex sentences.

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

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