Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · 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 7.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing in response to the article claiming that all town centres in our country looks very similar. Although I agree that many town centres have same architectural plans such as same large shops, cafes and fast- food restaurants, I do not think this is true for every town.

Mt town centre, for example, has several features that make it quite different. Instead of having a modern shopping centres, it has historic market square surrounded by old stone buildings. There is also a small local market where local vendors sell fresh fruits and vegetable, handmade crafts, and traditional food. In addition, our town has a beautiful riverside park, which is popular place for families and visitors to relax.

I believe that these features give our town a unique character that cannot be found in most other town centres. If the writer of the article wants to visit, I would be delighted to give t hem a guided a tour and show them some of the less well-known places that make our town special and different from other towns.

I hope the newspaper will consider these differences before making such a general statement about the town centre.

Yours faithfully,

Susana Cindric

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly state your partial agreement with the article, provide specific examples of how your town differs (historic market square, riverside park), and extend a polite invitation for a guided tour. The tone is appropriate for a letter to an editor, and the position is consistent throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, meeting all the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal conclusion. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different points of the prompt. You use cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'In addition', and 'For example' to link ideas smoothly. The progression of information is logical, moving from your agreement to your counter-arguments and finally to your offer. The flow is natural and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message with precision. Phrases like 'unique character', 'local vendors', and 'less well-known places' are used effectively. There are a few minor errors, such as 'same architectural plans' (should be 'the same') and 'a guided a tour' (a repetition error), but these do not impede communication. The vocabulary is appropriate for the context of a formal letter to a newspaper editor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. While there are some grammatical slips, such as 'town centres... looks' (subject-verb agreement) and 'Instead of having a modern shopping centres' (pluralization error), the majority of your sentences are error-free. Your control of punctuation and sentence structure is generally good, and the minor errors do not cause any difficulty for the reader. You show a good command of formal letter-writing conventions.

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

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