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 am 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 increasingly similar buildings such as shopping malls and food districts 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 are 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 successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly stated your agreement with the article's points regarding shopping malls and color schemes, provided specific examples of how your town differs (old architecture, sculptures, and fountains), and extended a polite invitation for a tour. The tone is appropriate for a letter to an editor. To reach a higher band, ensure that your explanation of the town's uniqueness is slightly more detailed; for instance, describing the 'ancient' sculpture or the atmosphere of the town center would add more depth to your argument.

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 'Not only this' to connect your ideas. While the progression is clear, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the relationship between sentences is more fluid. For example, the transition between the agreement with the article and the counter-argument could be smoother to better highlight the contrast in your position.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'valid points,' 'transformed,' and 'tourist attraction.' There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'does not appear anymore attractive' (should be 'no longer appears attractive') and 'give you company' (should be 'accompany you'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Incorporating more precise collocations and less common lexical items 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 slips, such as 'disagreement to a statement' (should be 'disagreement with'), 'mentioned about the colour' (should be 'mentioned the colour'), and 'old architecture buildings' (should be 'historic buildings'). Additionally, 'increases the beauty' should be 'increase the beauty' to agree with the plural subject 'fountains.' While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and preposition usage.

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

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