Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-07

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 5.5)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are doing well. I am little concerned about you claim that all towns look similar to each other. I disagree with this statement because they are different.

I agree with some points including there is medical facility for elderly and children, grocery store available, education for children, cleanliness.

My town is different from most other town centres such as we have grocery store, but it opens for 7 hours as compare to other towns they opened it for 24 hours. Another thing is there is school where education provide for children and it is under 5th standard. Most importantly, street lights are not available, no park and playground for children and elderly.

I would like to offer you a guided tour of my town. I believe through this way we can get more opportunities in the future. I think you can also help us various ways.

I believe you will accept my offer. I am very thanful to you.

Yours faithfully,

Rajandeep kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You make your disagreement clear and include all three requested elements: you identify points you accept, describe features of your town, and offer the writer a guided tour. However, the points of agreement are not clearly linked to the article, and the list of facilities (“medical facility,” “grocery store,” “education,” “cleanliness”) is difficult to interpret as specific claims. The differences you give—limited shop hours, a school serving children only up to fifth standard, and a lack of street lights, parks and playgrounds—are relevant, but their significance is not explained. The tour offer is also brief, with no suggested arrangements. Develop these ideas and clarify your position to make the response more complete and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable structure: an opening, paragraphs for agreement and local differences, and a closing offer. This makes the main points reasonably easy to locate. The sequence is generally logical, but connections between ideas are sometimes abrupt. For example, “I agree with some points including…” is followed by a list without explaining how those points relate to the article, while “Most importantly” introduces disadvantages without showing why they are the most important differences. The phrase “through this way” also does not clearly connect the tour to the hoped-for opportunities. Use clearer links and develop each paragraph around one connected idea; more precise referencing would help the reader follow your reasoning.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the basic topic, using relevant terms such as “guided tour,” “street lights,” “park” and “playground.” However, the range is limited and several phrases are inaccurate or unnatural, which makes some details harder to understand. For instance, “medical facility for elderly and children” is vague, and “education provide for children” does not express the idea naturally. “I am very thanful to you” also contains a spelling error and an unsuitable expression of thanks in this context. Aim for more precise descriptions of local services and facilities, and check spelling and collocations. This would make the letter clearer and more appropriate for a newspaper editor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use mostly simple sentence patterns, with some attempts to connect clauses, such as “I disagree with this statement because they are different.” However, errors in sentence structure and verb forms are frequent enough to affect clarity. Examples include “I am little concerned about you claim,” “as compare to other towns they opened it,” and “there is school where education provide.” These need corrected articles, possessives, comparisons and verb forms. Plural agreement is also inconsistent in “most other town centres.” Practise building accurate sentences with dependent clauses, and check each sentence for a clear subject and correctly formed verb. Greater control of these basics will make your ideas easier to understand.

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

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