Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-21

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 in response to the recent article in your newspaper, which claims that town centres across the country all look very similar. altough i agree with some points in the article, i believe that all town centres have some unique features.

I agree that all town centres have same supermarkets, cafes, resturants, shopping mall. in addition, many towns have same international brands which can make their shopping areas looks alike.

However, my town centre is quite different from many others. it has beautiful historic market where local people sell fresh and organic vegetables and fruits, handmade products and traditional foods. There is alos a large park where children play and families spend some quality time. There is a large area where carnivlas or events are held which attract nearby areas.

I would delighted to offer the writer of your article a guided tour of my town. I could show them local markets, historical buildings and cultural spots to help them understand waht makes our town special.

i hope you will consider my views and add in your article.

Yours faithfully,

Jass

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three requirements and maintain a clear, appropriately qualified position: you agree that shared supermarkets, cafés and international brands can make centres look alike, but argue that your town has distinctive features. The historic market, park and event space provide relevant examples, and the offer to show the writer local markets, historic buildings and cultural sites completes the task. Your ideas are clear and supported, although some details remain general—for example, you do not explain what is distinctive about the market or name a particular event that takes place there. Developing one or two examples with more specific detail would make your case more convincing and fully extended.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression: you introduce your response, acknowledge the article’s point, contrast it with features of your town, and finish with an invitation. Paragraphing supports this sequence, and linking expressions such as “In addition” and “However” help signal the relationship between ideas. The main improvement is to make connections within the descriptive paragraph smoother: the market, park and event area are listed in succession, with limited explanation of how each contributes to the town’s distinctiveness. The closing sentence, “I hope you will consider my views and add in your article,” also feels abrupt and its reference to “your article” is not entirely clear. More precise transitions and a more natural closing would strengthen the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for the letter, including relevant descriptive terms such as “historic market,” “handmade products,” “traditional foods” and “cultural spots.” These choices help communicate the town’s character, and the meaning remains clear despite some inaccurate or misspelled items. However, several phrases are imprecise or awkward, including “same supermarkets” and “a large area where carnivals or events are held.” Spelling errors such as “altough,” “resturants,” “alos” and “waht” also reduce accuracy. Aim for more natural collocations and check spelling carefully; this would make your vocabulary more precise while retaining the accessible, appropriate tone of the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple sentences and more developed structures, including the relative clause “which claims that town centres…” and the purpose phrase “to help them understand…”. Most ideas are understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “I would delighted” needs the verb “be,” and “all town centres have same supermarkets” needs an article before “same.” In “many towns have same international brands which can make their shopping areas looks alike,” the verb after “make” should be in its base form. Capitalisation at the start of sentences is also inconsistent. Review articles, verb patterns and sentence-start capitals; greater accuracy across these structures would improve control.

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

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