Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-04

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/Madam,

I am writing to express my concern about an article that was recently published in your national newspaper about the town centers of my country are looking similar to each other that is inaccurate.

I accept that majority of town centers look same as all have well developed facilities for the local residents, such as shopping centers, cinema halls, amusement parks and libraries. These all are essential facilities that people use in their everyday lives.

However, the town center of my area is different than other town centers because along with basic essential infrastructures, there are so many high rise buildings are constructed that make it different. Moreover, there are some fitness centers as well that encourage people towards physical fitness.

I would suggest to visit this place at least once and offer a tour guide that may assist to explore the central area of the town, which would help to understand the differences. This information can be quite helpful while publishing next edition about my town.

I hope this information would be reconsidered and area would be explored before publishing any kind of information about a particular place in the future.

Yours faithfully,

Soni.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task. You clearly stated your disagreement with the article, provided specific (though somewhat generic) examples of how your town differs, and extended a polite invitation for a tour. The tone is appropriate for a letter to an editor. To improve, ensure your arguments are more fully developed. For instance, instead of just mentioning 'high-rise buildings' and 'fitness centers,' you could explain how these features create a unique cultural or aesthetic atmosphere that distinguishes your town from others. The position is clear throughout, and the letter follows the required format.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However,' 'Moreover,' and 'In addition,' which help the flow of ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. Some sentences are slightly repetitive in structure, and the use of referencing could be more precise to avoid minor ambiguity. Overall, the progression of ideas is easy to follow, and the paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. You use functional phrases like 'express my concern' and 'essential infrastructures.' However, there are some instances of slightly unnatural word choices or collocations, such as 'look same' (should be 'look the same') and 'publishing next edition' (should be 'publishing the next edition'). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to urban planning or civic identity, and pay closer attention to articles and prepositions when using common collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. For example, 'town centers of my country are looking similar' should be 'town centers in my country look similar.' There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and missing articles, such as 'I would suggest to visit' (should be 'I would suggest visiting') and 'offer a tour guide' (should be 'offer to provide a guided tour'). These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the score in this criterion.

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

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