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 or Madam

My attention has been drawn to your article of 2nd July 2026 on Sunshine newspaper. In your publication, you opined that town centres in Nigeria will look similar to each other.

Your article highlighted the similar architectural designs. You stated that being handled by a particular individual will make the centres look alike. For example,the sculptor of a drummer to be mounted in all centres, positioned in the same direction and carved with the same material. Also the landscaping whcih was done alike with same flowers and the same colour for the railings.

However, despite all the similarities the centre at ijesha look quite different from the others. In addition to the drummer sculptor, it has an eagle by the right and the presence of the waterfall just opposite the centre make the vegetation more welcoming.

I would appreciate it if, you can schedule to visit Ijesha town centre which is located in Ijelu district. Just drive down the road from Ige, at the roundabout take left and the road takes you down to Ijesha.

You can contact me on [redacted phone] anytime you intend to come so that I can take you round the town.

I look forward to meeting you soon.

Yours sincerely

Jacob Williams

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three requirements and maintain a clear, appropriately qualified position: you acknowledge similarities in design and landscaping, then explain why Ijesha differs, citing the eagle and waterfall. The offer to arrange a visit and guide the writer is also explicit, with directions and a contact number. These details make the letter relevant and purposeful. To strengthen the response further, develop the contrast with more explanation—for example, clarify how the waterfall or local features make the centre distinctive compared with the centres described in the article. The first point is covered, but the explanation of the article’s claims is somewhat repetitive, and the distinctive features could be more fully supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression: it introduces the article, summarises the similarities, presents Ijesha as an exception, and ends with an invitation and closing. Paragraphing supports this sequence, and linking expressions such as “However” and “In addition” help signal the contrast and added detail. The directions and contact information also fit naturally with the offer of a tour. Some connections could be smoother: the sentence beginning “For example” is a fragment rather than a complete continuation, and the shift from describing the article’s claims to the local comparison could be more explicitly framed. Overall, the organisation is easy to follow; more controlled sentence linking and clearer references would make the progression still more seamless.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for a formal letter, including topic-specific terms such as “architectural designs,” “landscaping,” “railings,” and “vegetation.” Phrases such as “My attention has been drawn to” and “I would appreciate it if” also show awareness of formal register. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “the sculptor of a drummer,” “being handled by a particular individual,” and “take you round the town.” There are also spelling errors, notably “whcih,” and inconsistent capitalisation of “Ijesha.” These do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, but greater precision would improve fluency. Choose natural collocations and check spelling and proper nouns carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and more complex structures, including the conditional invitation “I would appreciate it if…” and the relative clause “which is located in Ijelu district.” Most of the message remains understandable, and the directions are expressed clearly. Some grammatical and punctuation errors remain, however. “For example, the sculptor of a drummer to be mounted…” is not a complete sentence, while “the centre at ijesha look” has a subject–verb agreement error. The phrase “if, you can schedule” has an unnecessary comma, and “the presence of the waterfall … make” also needs agreement with its subject. Review sentence completeness, agreement, and punctuation; this would build on the range already attempted and improve accuracy.

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.