Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-12

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 to formally object to the proposed arguments regarding the similar look of all town centres in our country. Recently it was published in a national newspaper but I don't agree with some opinions as each town centre represents its own importance.

I certainly agree that each city has its own heritage and cultural presence which is largely shown in town centres. Additionally, many traditional buildings have been replaced by modern shopping centres that lack any connection to local history.

However, my town centre offers a rather different experience. Its main attraction is the national museum which has historically well-preserved stones and artifacts gathered from nearby excavated sites by archaeologists. Furthermore, every weekend the supermarket is surrounded by people who come for retail shopping for daily routine needs.

I would be delighted to give the writer of the article a guided tour of my town. A Sunday morning would be ideal, as we could explore the market and museum as well as visit several historical landmarks.

I hope this visit would offer a useful perspective for a follow-up article.

Yours sincerely,

Viral Siddhapura

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all the bullet points specified in the prompt. The writer successfully identifies points of agreement regarding cultural heritage and traditional buildings, explains specific ways in which their town centre differs by highlighting the national museum and local artifacts, and extends a clear offer to give a guided tour on a Sunday morning. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a newspaper editor. However, some ideas, such as the mention of the supermarket, feel slightly mundane and are not fully developed to contrast with the newspaper article's claims. Despite this slight under-development in places, all key requirements are addressed, earning a solid Band 6.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter exhibits a clear overall structure with an appropriate greeting, logical paragraphing, and a suitable sign-off. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving smoothly from introduction to agreement, disagreement, the tour offer, and conclusion. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Additionally', 'However', and 'Furthermore'. However, referencing and transitions are sometimes a bit mechanical, as seen in the sudden shift to discussing the supermarket routine. Paragraph transitions could be smoother to achieve a higher band, but the logical organisation remains clear throughout the response, justifying a Band 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'cultural presence', 'excavated sites', and 'historical landmarks'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but word choice occasionally lacks precision, such as 'formally object to the proposed arguments' where 'dispute the claim' might sound more natural. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, and vocabulary does not impede communication. This performance aligns well with the Band 6.0 descriptors for lexical resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writer uses a reasonable mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I certainly agree that each city has its own heritage...' and 'Its main attraction is the national museum which has historically well-preserved stones...'. There are several error-free sentences, demonstrating good control over basic grammar. However, a few minor inaccuracies occur, such as 'Recently it was published in a national newspaper' which lacks an explicit subject or passive clarity, and slight awkwardness in phrasing. Because complex structures are attempted and control is generally good with rare impediments to meaning, a Band 6.5 is appropriate.

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

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