Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-08

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,

Greetings for the day! I recently read your published article in the newspaper, and I am writing this letter in order express my opinion and thoughts about some information which I am not satisfied with.

At the onset, let me provide you with the brief details about the article which I am quite satisfied to read. First and foremost, the article not only provided detailed description of town centers, but also outlined readers with the long list of public facilities. Apart from that, the article beautifully represented the difference between rural and urban building structures and road outlines.

Further, let me brief you with the information which make my town centre town centre distinctive from other states. Since most town centres provide public services in the fields of transportation, health and education, my town centre hosts free food and clothing donation services for the poor people in educational institutions, and Toronto built a special block for free cultural and music festivals. These events are extremely helpful for students and immigrants as they provide them an escape from everyday stress and busy work schedule.

Lastly, I would like to offer you a guided tour to to have better understanding of the difference between my town's and other's town centers. I hope this tour will provide a very useful information and will enhance your knowledge while communicating with the locals. I would be extremely proud to support with any relevant information about the article.

Do not hesitate to contact with any questions or concerns.

Yours faithfully, Date:08-09-2026

David Williams

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly stated which parts of the article you agreed with, provided specific examples of how your town is unique (such as the donation services and cultural festivals), and extended a polite invitation for a guided tour. The tone is appropriate for a letter to an editor, and your position is consistent throughout. To reach a higher band, ensure that your explanation of the town's uniqueness is more tightly focused on the 'town centre' specifically, rather than general city features, to ensure full relevance to the prompt's context.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organised with clear paragraph breaks that separate the different requirements of the task. You use transition signals such as 'At the onset', 'Further', and 'Lastly' to guide the reader through your argument. However, some of the cohesive devices feel slightly mechanical or forced. Additionally, the referencing in the third paragraph—specifically the sudden mention of 'Toronto'—is confusing, as it is unclear if you are referring to your own town or a different location. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring clear pronoun references would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using phrases like 'distinctive', 'public facilities', and 'everyday stress'. There are some instances of slightly unnatural collocations, such as 'provide you with the brief details' or 'outlined readers with the long list'. While these do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise word choices. You attempt to use some less common vocabulary, but the accuracy is inconsistent. Focusing on natural word combinations and avoiding repetitive phrasing will help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'make my town centre town centre distinctive' (repetition), 'offer you a guided tour to to have' (repetition), and 'contact with any questions' (incorrect preposition usage). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency. To improve, pay closer attention to prepositions and ensure you proofread for minor slips like repeated words or missing articles.

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

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