Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-28

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 to show a disagreement with the a article that I read on your newspaper regarding similarity between all town centres in my country. Although, the article emphaised the similarity, but the points that strongly depicted the legacy and significance of the town centres allured my attention.

This country has a rich historical architecture which is being preserved by authorities to maintain its heritage which could be the reason you find all centres look similar. However, other town centres shows advancement and tall buildings that are newly constructed, but my town centre signifies richness and historical buildings which is generally not seen nowadays.

I truly appreciate your research and efforts to portray different town centres in the newspaper, hence I would like to invite you to guided tour of the town and spend time with me to acknowledge the history of these buildings so that a more comprehensive look of such buildings could be admired by such articles. Consequently, motivating more people to visit and praise certain places.

Please let me know your thoughts on this and I will be looking forward for your response at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely,

Ben Stebin

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You clearly state your disagreement with the article, explain the unique historical architecture of your town, and extend an invitation for a guided tour. Your position is consistent throughout the letter. To improve, ensure that your explanation of why your town is different is more specific; while you mention 'historical buildings,' providing a concrete example of a landmark or a specific feature would have strengthened your argument and made the response more persuasive. Overall, the task is fulfilled effectively with a clear tone appropriate for a letter to an editor.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Although,' 'However,' and 'Consequently' to link your ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or forced, such as the use of 'hence' in the third paragraph. Additionally, the sentence structure in the first paragraph is slightly cluttered due to the misuse of 'Although' and 'but' in the same sentence. Improving the flow between sentences by varying your linking words and ensuring they are used in their correct grammatical context would help elevate your score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary, such as 'legacy,' 'significance,' 'advancement,' and 'comprehensive.' There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'allured my attention' (should be 'caught my attention') and 'show a disagreement' (should be 'express my disagreement'). You also have a spelling error with 'emphaised.' While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, incorporating more precise collocations and ensuring accurate word usage would allow for a higher band score. Focus on learning common word pairings to sound more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as 'the a article' (article error), 'all town centres' (missing 'the'), and 'invite you to guided tour' (missing 'a'). The sentence 'Although, the article emphaised the similarity, but the points...' is grammatically incorrect because 'although' and 'but' should not be used together in this way. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and conjunctions to improve your accuracy.

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

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