Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-11

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 writing this letter to express my disagreement to a statement of a recent article published in "The New Times" which claimed that all town centres across the country appear alike.

I loved the article as there were some valid points such as the increasing similar buildings such as shopping malls and food district in town centres. Not only this but it also mentioned about the colour of most of the shops being transformed into white which does not appear anymore attractive. I totally agree with these ideas.

However, my town centre differs from this. There are still old architecture buildings and are very bright and colourful. There is a small sculpture of ancient times which is a very famous tourist attraction. There are a significant number of fountains, which lit at night and increases the beauty of town.

I would be more than happy to welcome you to visit my town and spend some time here. Moreover, I am willing to give you company for the tour. Let me know the best time you can visit, so I can make some arrangements.

Hoping to see you soon.

Best regards,

Krupa

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task effectively. You clearly stated your partial agreement with the article, provided specific examples of how your town differs (old architecture, sculpture, fountains), and extended a polite invitation for a 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 descriptions are slightly more detailed; for instance, describing the 'old architecture' or the 'sculpture' with more vivid imagery would further develop your ideas and demonstrate a more sophisticated engagement with the prompt.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter follows a logical structure, with clear paragraphing that separates the introduction, the points of agreement, the counter-arguments, and the closing invitation. You use cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Moreover', and 'Not only this' to link your ideas. While the progression is generally smooth, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. For example, the sentence 'Not only this but it also mentioned...' is a bit clunky. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring that referencing (e.g., 'these ideas') is always precise will help you achieve a more natural flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'architecture', 'tourist attraction', and 'arrangements'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'disagreement to a statement' (should be 'disagreement with') and 'does not appear anymore attractive' (should be 'is no longer attractive'). You also use 'give you company', which is not a standard collocation; 'accompany you' or 'show you around' would be more natural. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise adjectives and idiomatic expressions would enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'I writing this letter' (missing auxiliary verb 'am'), 'increasing similar buildings' (should be 'increasingly similar'), and 'which lit at night' (should be 'which are lit at night'). Additionally, 'are very bright and colourful' lacks a clear subject. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher band score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of passive voice will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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