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,

My name is Ava. I am a resident of Oxford town. I am writing this letter regarding an article you have published in national newspaper about town centres.

In your article, it is mentioned that the town centres of the country needs maintainence. I agree to this point as some of the town centres are quite old for which they need renovation. The councils should pay close attention to it as its weak foundation can be dangerous to work there.

To mention, although most of the town centres are quite similar but my town centre is different from them. The architecture of our town centre was made by a french architect who designed it very precisely that its still efficient for work till date. Moreover, the city council has made all the historical achievements of town residents displayed in a corner.

Lastly, i would like to give a tour of my town to you as per your avaliability. I will show you few of the places which are quite popular in our town and few of the historical sites which you can cover in your next article.

Yours Sincerely,

Ava

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all three bullet points required by the task prompt. You state which point you agree with (that town centres need maintenance and renovation due to old age), you explain ways in which your town centre is different (mentioning the French architect, the efficient design, and the display of historical achievements of residents), and you offer a guided tour to the writer. However, the first bullet point in your letter slightly misinterprets the prompt's focus on towns 'looking very similar to each other', as you shifted this into a discussion about maintenance and safety. Furthermore, some ideas, such as the architecture and historical displays, could have been extended further to fully develop the response. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, which aligns with the Band 6 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter has a clear overall arrangement with an appropriate opening and closing, and each bullet point is separated into its own paragraph. Logical progression is generally maintained, but referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, phrases like 'To mention' and 'Moreover' are used to link ideas, but the transition between sentences can feel slightly abrupt. Pronoun referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the sentence '...designed it very precisely that its still efficient', where 'its' lacks accurate punctuation and clear flow. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately for a formal letter format, placing the response solidly at Band 6.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'architecture', 'renovation', and 'historical achievements'. However, there are noticeable word choice and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'maintainence' instead of maintenance, 'avaliability' instead of availability, and awkward phrasing like 'the town centres of the country needs maintainence'. Additionally, lowercase 'i' is used instead of 'I' in the final paragraph. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they prevent the lexical score from reaching Band 7. The vocabulary used is sufficient for the task requirements, justifying a Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the use of concessive clauses ('although most of the town centres are quite similar but my town centre is different'). However, there are several grammatical errors and punctuation slips throughout the text. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('town centres... needs maintainence'), missing articles ('give a tour of my town'), spelling mistakes in verb forms, and double spacing issues. While complex sentences are attempted, they often contain errors. The control of grammar is adequate to ensure meaning is conveyed, but the frequency of slips places this at a Band 6 level.

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

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