Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-31

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 hope this letter finds you well.

I am writing this letter in regards to the article that was published about the town centres. It was an honour to read about my town it the newspaper however, Would like to differ on the point that all town centres look very alike.

In recent times, with the development and modenisation many of the town centres have the similar kind of shops, showrooms and brands which gives an impression that they look similar to each other but our town has its uniqueness.

Our town centre's architecture is based on the town history and warriors memorials and have a dedicated area for locals to do their business along with a separate well equipped space for childern day. We even organise various cultural events with local food, handicrafts and special performances.

With your due approval, I can give you and the team a guided town tour at your earliest convenience.

Looking forward to hear from you.

Kind Regards

Urvi Uttekar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task. You clearly stated your disagreement with the article's premise, provided specific examples of your town's unique features (architecture, memorials, and cultural events), and extended a polite invitation for a tour. The tone is appropriate for a letter to an editor. To improve, ensure you explicitly mention which parts of the article you agree with, as requested in the first bullet point. Currently, you focus entirely on the disagreement, which makes the response slightly unbalanced. Expanding on the 'similar shops' point as a valid observation before pivoting to your counter-argument would better satisfy the prompt requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a distinct aspect of the task. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and occasionally mechanical. For example, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. While the progression of ideas is clear, the letter would benefit from a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'in contrast') to connect sentences more fluidly. Paragraphing is used correctly, which helps the reader follow your argument easily.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'modernisation', 'uniqueness', and 'handicrafts'. There are some minor errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'childern' (children) and 'modenisation' (modernisation). Additionally, the phrase 'do their business' is slightly unnatural in this context; 'conduct their daily activities' would be more precise. While you successfully convey your message, the vocabulary is generally functional rather than sophisticated. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations and ensure consistent accuracy in spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical slips that affect the flow. For instance, 'It was an honour to read about my town it the newspaper' contains a preposition error ('in' instead of 'it'). The sentence 'Would like to differ' is missing a subject ('I'). Furthermore, 'Looking forward to hear from you' should be 'Looking forward to hearing from you'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and gerund usage after specific phrases will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.