Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-19

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 7.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing in response to the article published in your newspaper recently,which claims that town centres look very similar to each other.

I agree that many town centres have become similar because they contain same chain stores, shopping malls, and fast-food resturants. Moreover, modern buildings and similar shopping facilities have reduced some of the diffrences between towns.

However, my town centre is quite different from others because it has several historical buildings and a traditional marketplace. Local shops sell handmade products and regional food, which reflect our local culture. In addition, there is a beautiful garden, where families gather, and cultural festivals are regularly organised in the town square. These feautres make my town special and attractive to visitors.

I would be delighted to the writer of your article a guided tour of my town. I could show them the historical landmarks, introduce them to local shopkeepers, and take them to some of the most intresting places. I am confident that this visit would give them a diiferent perspective on our town centres.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Jagjit Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The letter addresses all three requirements clearly. You acknowledge the article’s point about chain stores, shopping malls and fast-food restaurants, then explain how historical buildings, a traditional marketplace, local products, a garden and festivals distinguish your town. The offer of a guided tour is explicit and supported with examples of what you would show the writer. Your position—that you partly agree but do not accept the claim as applying to every town—is clear throughout. The ideas are relevant and well developed for this purpose. To make the response even more complete, you could briefly explain what makes one or two of the listed features distinctive in practice, rather than mainly naming them.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The organisation is clear and effective: the opening establishes the reason for writing, the next paragraph concedes the article’s point, and the following paragraphs contrast your town and make the tour offer. Linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “However,” and “In addition” help the reader follow the progression, while the closing is appropriate for a formal letter. Paragraphing is well suited to the task. Some transitions are a little predictable, and the list of attractions in the town paragraph could be connected more explicitly to show how the features work together to create a distinctive character. Varying the links and using a little more precise referencing would make the cohesion feel more seamless.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the letter, including relevant expressions such as “traditional marketplace,” “regional food,” “historical landmarks,” and “local shopkeepers.” These choices communicate the town’s character clearly, and the tone is generally appropriate. There are, however, several spelling errors—“resturants,” “diffrences,” “feautres,” “intresting,” and “diiferent”—which reduce accuracy. Some wording is also broad or repetitive, particularly “similar” and “different.” More precise descriptions of the town’s architecture, market or festivals would show greater flexibility and help the contrast feel more vivid. Proofreading spelling and choosing more specific alternatives would strengthen this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The letter includes a useful mix of sentence forms, and several complex structures are handled well. For example, “Local shops sell handmade products and regional food, which reflect our local culture” uses a relative clause, while “because it has several historical buildings and a traditional marketplace” gives a clear reason. Most sentences are easy to understand, and the formal opening and closing are appropriate. A few grammatical and punctuation issues remain: there is no space after the comma in “recently,which,” and “I would be delighted to the writer” is missing the verb pattern needed to express the offer. Check punctuation around clauses and review verb complements such as “delighted to offer the writer.”

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