Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-20

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 6.5)

Dear sir,

I am writing to express my views on the article recently published in your newspaper, which states that towns across the country look very similar. Although I agree that many town centres share some same certain features, I believe that each place has it's own unique characteristics.

I agree with the writer that most town centres have shopping malls, hotels, restaurants and similar retails outlets. In addition, modern infrastructure and international brands can be found in almost every towns, which makes their appearance look alike.

However, my town centre has several uniques features that make it different from others. There is a traditional food and market where shopkeepers sell handmade items and fresh food. The town has a beautiful garden for public where families gather to spend their free time together.

I would be pleased to take writer on a guided tour of the town centre. I could show them the local markets and some of the most popular restaurant. I am confident that this visit would provide a different perspective on the similarities and differences between the towns.

I look forward to hearing your views.

Yours faithfully,

Gurjinder Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three requested points and maintain a clear, appropriately qualified position: you agree that many centres share shops and international brands, but argue that your town has distinctive features. The examples of a traditional market, handmade goods, fresh food and a public garden make the contrast relevant, and the offer to show the writer around completes the purpose of the letter. To strengthen the response further, develop these examples with a little more specific detail—for instance, explain what makes the market or garden distinctive—and make the guided-tour invitation more direct and personal. The ideas are clear and supported, though some remain general.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter is organised in a clear progression: you introduce your response to the article, identify points of agreement, contrast these with local features, and then offer a tour before closing. Paragraphing supports this structure, and transitions such as “Although,” “In addition,” and “However” help the reader follow the contrast. The final invitation and sign-off also suit the letter format. To make the flow more polished, connect the examples within the town-centre paragraph more explicitly and avoid relying mainly on basic transition phrases. For example, explain how the market and garden together give the centre a distinctive character. Overall, the organisation is logical and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the topic and includes useful expressions such as “international brands,” “traditional food,” “handmade items,” and “guided tour.” These choices communicate the main ideas clearly, and the tone is generally suitable for a letter to an editor. However, some word-choice and word-form errors reduce precision, including “some same certain features,” “similar retails outlets,” “almost every towns,” and “several uniques features.” A few phrases are also broad, such as “beautiful garden,” where more specific description could add impact. Aim to use natural collocations and check forms carefully; this would make your vocabulary more flexible and accurate while preserving the clear meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including the contrast in “Although I agree …, I believe …” and the relative clause “which states that towns … look very similar.” Most sentences are understandable, and errors do not prevent the reader from following your message. Some grammatical inaccuracies remain, however: “it's own” should be “its own,” “almost every towns” needs a singular noun, and “I would be pleased to take writer” needs an article or possessive before “writer.” There are also agreement and number issues in “some of the most popular restaurant.” To move further, proofread articles, singular/plural forms and possessives, while continuing to use varied sentence structures.

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

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