Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-14

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 6.0)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express my opinion regarding an article in a national newspaper which states that all the town centres in Canada look same. I would not be fully agreed with this statement.

I would like to add some of the points that I agree with. Firstly, the area of all the town centres are equal in size. Secondly, the interior is perfectly same for all of them. Lastly, the material is served by the same company.

I would also like to write some information regarding the difference of my town centre from others. This town is partly funded by the governments. Additionally, most of the workers are volunteers.

I would appreciate it if you could visit this town centre. I would more than be happy to offer you a guilded tour here.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully

Sona Tom

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The candidate has addressed all parts of the bullet points provided in the prompt. You successfully stated which points you agree with, explained how your town centre is different, and offered a guided tour. However, the development of some ideas is rather simplistic and lacks elaboration. For instance, stating that the interior is perfectly the same or that materials are served by the same company feels unnatural and lacks strong supporting context. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a newspaper editor. Despite the limited depth in developing certain points, the response covers all core requirements of the task successfully, aligning well with a Band 6.0 level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a clear logical organization with distinct paragraphs for each part of the prompt, mirroring standard correspondence format. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', 'Lastly', and 'Additionally' are utilized to sequence points, though they can feel somewhat mechanical. Referencing is generally clear, and the paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to separate the introduction, areas of agreement, areas of difference, the offer for a tour, and the sign-off. Overall, the structural progression is easy to follow, supporting a Band 6.0 score for coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, but tends to be basic and repetitive in places, such as the repeated use of 'town centre' and 'same'. There are some awkward lexical choices or collocations, such as 'look same' instead of 'look the same' and 'material is served' instead of 'materials are supplied'. Attempts at less common vocabulary yield limited success. While communication is not impeded, the range remains restricted and basic, placing this response firmly at Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'I am writing to express my opinion regarding an article...' and 'I would appreciate it if you could visit this town centre.' There are notable grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, including 'I would not be fully agreed' (incorrect passive voice/tense usage) and 'guilded' (spelling error). However, the sentence structures remain mostly functional, and punctuation is generally handled correctly. The errors do not impede communication, which reflects the descriptors for Band 6.0.

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

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