Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing this letter to the editor of the newspaper who says all town centres in my nation is similar. I am agree that all town centres provide similar price of almost all things. They don't sell any different price or different brand products like NIKE brand sells same price shoes in my nation.

According to my view, there is minor difference between my town or other nations town. Firstly, my country india town centres is not vey big as compared to Canada town centres they provide more facilies in town centres like all big shops in one area but im my town there is a small shops with less variety things.

I just want to convey my message to the writer through this article that they must expand facilities in my town centre like provide more variety things on the shops so my home town centre also become famous as other towns.

I hope you understand my message regarding town centre facilities.

Your's sincerely

Navjot Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points, but the development is somewhat limited. You successfully identify a point of agreement regarding pricing and offer a contrast regarding your local town. However, the explanation of how your town differs is slightly confusing, as you compare it to Canada rather than focusing on the unique characteristics of your own town. Additionally, the final paragraph shifts focus to requesting more facilities rather than offering the guided tour as requested in the prompt. To improve, ensure each bullet point is fully explored and that the tone remains consistent with a formal letter to an editor.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite basic and sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the second and third paragraphs is abrupt. There is also some repetition of phrases like 'town centres' and 'my town', which makes the flow feel a bit repetitive. Using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'in contrast') would help to improve the logical progression of your ideas and make the text feel more cohesive.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. You rely on simple descriptors like 'big' and 'small' and repeat the word 'things' frequently. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'provide similar price' instead of 'have similar price points'. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to urban planning or retail, and focus on using words that are more specific to the context of your argument.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'I am agree' (should be 'I agree'), 'my country india town centres is' (subject-verb agreement and capitalization issues), and 'less variety things' (missing preposition 'of'). You rely mostly on simple sentence structures, and attempts at more complex sentences often contain errors. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and ensuring that your sentence structures are grammatically sound before attempting more complex forms.

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

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