Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-04

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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to let you know that I recently read your article in the national newspaper, which categorically claims that town centres in our country look very similar to each other. However, I do not completely agree with this statement, there are many visible differences in all the town centres which makes each one of them unique.

I partially agree with your claims. The basic layout of all the town centres is same with just minor differences, and architecture of most of the governmenet buildings resemble each other.

My town centre has some distinctive features which include the transport infrastructure. It has been meticulously designed to withstand heavy rains and earthquakes, while none other town centre has such a well-designed transport infrastructure. Moreover, the horticulture department has made considerable efforts for preserving the existing trees and planting new ones.

I sincerely invite you for a guided tour of my town centre, so that you can get a first-hand experience of the aforementioned differences.

Thank you for your consideration.

Yours faithfully,

Sara Qureshi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You have addressed all parts of the task fully and maintained a clear, consistent position throughout the letter. You successfully stated which points in the article you agreed with, such as the basic layout and government building architecture, and explained how your town centre is different by highlighting its unique transport infrastructure and horticultural efforts. Additionally, you smoothly included the offer for a guided tour at the end. Your ideas are relevant and extended, although the supporting points tend to generalise slightly, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a newspaper editor, and all three bullet points from the prompt are adequately covered and extended.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

Your letter demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information and ideas flow smoothly from the opening stance to the specific agreements, distinctive town features, and finally the invitation. You make effective use of cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Moreover', and 'so that', using them flexibly to guide the reader through your arguments. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each paragraph serving a distinct function related to the prompt requirements. Referencing is clear, and the transition between discussing agreements and highlighting your own town's unique features is handled naturally, resulting in a cohesive and well-structured piece of correspondence.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow for flexibility and precision, attempting less common lexical items with some awareness of style and collocation. Phrases like 'categorically claims', 'meticulously designed', and 'first-hand experience' show a good command of appropriate vocabulary for a formal letter. However, there are a few minor lexical inaccuracies, such as the spelling error 'governemenet' and the slight awkwardness in 'none other town centre', which prevent the lexical score from being higher. Word choices generally convey your message clearly without impeding communication, showing an adequate resource to discuss urban features and personal opinions effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

You utilise a variety of complex structures alongside simple sentences, producing frequent error-free clauses. You show good control of grammar and punctuation, successfully employing relative clauses and prepositional phrases such as 'which includes the transport infrastructure' and 'to withstand heavy rains and earthquakes'. There are, however, a few persistent minor errors, notably a comma splice in the first paragraph ('...completely agree with this statement, there are...') and article or determiner misuse in phrases like 'while none other town centre'. Despite these few lapses, your control over verb tenses and sentence forms is strong, allowing for clear and accurate communication throughout the letter.

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