Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-03

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 you are doing well. I read your article on town centres and I am not fully agree with your perspective. I would like to point out some important factors.

I agree that the appearance of all the town centres might be similar. You mentioned that town centres need to be well maintained and it needs more development. You further added that it needs a better education system, I totally agree with your statements.

However, my town centre is quite different from other places. People here are really friendly, supportive and helpful which makes it a better place. Moreover, the crime rate is significantly lower compared to other town centres. This town even has better public transport which is really necessary for individuals especially working professionals.

I would like to invite you for a friendly tour of the town, so you can have better understanding. It would also be helpful for you to make new articles. Let me know if you have any further questions or doubts. Your time and assistance would be appreciated.

Best wishes,

Utsav

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly stated your position regarding the article, explained how your town differs from others, and extended an invitation for a tour. The tone is appropriate for a letter to an editor. To improve, ensure that the points you agree with are more clearly linked to the original article's premise. For instance, you mention 'education system' and 'well maintained' as points of agreement, but it is unclear if these were actually in the article. Developing your ideas with more specific examples of what makes your town unique would push this into a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Moreover', and 'further added' to transition between ideas. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions feel a bit mechanical. To reach a higher band, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the progression of ideas within paragraphs is tighter. For example, the transition between the agreement section and the disagreement section could be more sophisticated to better highlight the contrast in your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'perspective', 'significantly lower', and 'working professionals'. However, the vocabulary is somewhat functional and lacks the precision or 'less common' lexical items that characterize higher bands. There are no major spelling errors, and communication is clear throughout. To improve, try to incorporate more descriptive adjectives or collocations that convey your points with more nuance, rather than relying on general descriptors like 'really friendly' or 'better place'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While most of your sentences are clear, there are some grammatical inaccuracies. For example, 'I am not fully agree' should be 'I do not fully agree'. Additionally, 'it needs more development' lacks a clear antecedent for 'it'. You have a good grasp of basic sentence construction, but to achieve a higher score, you should aim for more error-free complex sentences and ensure subject-verb agreement is consistent throughout the text.

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.