Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-14

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 or Madam,

I am writing this letter to express my disagreement about an article that claims that the town centres in my country looks same as each other. The article describes that the town centres has large buildings and some multinational companies located which makes that area busy, I completely agree with this statement. Also, there are many restaurants located around the same area which makes it convenient for employees to purchase some food in there breaks.

Nevertheless, the town centres are located in a close proximity but, they all have distinct features and major apparent differences. Some downtown areas are very busy when compared to others. Moreover, near my town centre there are many clubs and pubs located, which makes that area very busy around late night time. Eventhough, it is very busy it does not get very noisy.

I would be delighted to give you a guided tour of my town and explain the significance and cultural meaning of the area. I will be free on weekends in the month of October, to give you a thorough walk thru of the history of the town.

I am hoping to hear back from you.

Yours faithfully,

Chen Wang.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your position is clear: you disagree with the article’s broad claim while accepting that town centres share features such as large buildings, multinational companies and restaurants. You also describe local nightlife and offer a guided tour, so all three task points are addressed. The response is relevant and the invitation is courteous. However, the points are not equally developed: the similarities are explained more clearly than the distinctive character of your own centre. The claim that it is busy but “does not get very noisy” is interesting, but needs an explanation or a concrete example to make the contrast convincing. To strengthen the response, add a specific local feature and explain what makes it unusual.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: it introduces your response to the article, contrasts shared features with local differences, and ends with an invitation and closing. Paragraphing helps the reader follow this progression, and linking expressions such as “Nevertheless” and “Moreover” make the contrast visible. Some connections are less smooth, however. “Some downtown areas are very busy when compared to others” is general and does not clearly lead into the details about your own town. The repeated references to busy areas also make the middle paragraph feel somewhat repetitive. Use a clearer transition from the article’s general points to a specific example from your town, and ensure each sentence adds a distinct detail.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for a formal letter, including topic-related expressions such as “multinational companies,” “distinct features,” “cultural meaning” and “guided tour.” These choices help communicate the subject and purpose. There are also some imprecise or unnatural phrases, including “looks same as each other,” “purchase some food in there breaks” and “late night time.” “Walk thru” is informal for this context, and “Eventhough” is incorrectly written as one word. These issues do not prevent understanding, but they limit the naturalness and precision of the vocabulary. Aim for more idiomatic collocations and consistent formal spelling, especially when describing the town’s distinctive character and arranging the visit.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “which claims…” and a concessive structure beginning “Even though.” The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “the town centres … looks” and “the town centres has” have subject–verb agreement errors; “looks same” is missing an article, and “in there breaks” uses the wrong possessive form. The sentence beginning “Even though” is also punctuated as a fragment before “it is very busy.” These errors show that complex structures are being attempted, but control is not yet consistent. Check agreement and articles, and make sure dependent clauses are joined to a complete main clause.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.