Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-24

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 5.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to express my disagreement regarding an artical which claims that town centres in my country all look simliar to each other.

Firstly, I agree with one point which explains the structure for the town centers are very unique. As they were build in past without the advanced technology.

On the other hand, my town center has many advanced facilities that other town centers don't have. For example, in my town center we have almost five big theaters and the advanced science labs which helo students to learn more about their subjects with easy way.

I would like to offer you a guided tour in my town center so you can see and better understand the structure and the facilities that are different from othet other town centers.

Thank you for your time and patience.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You make your disagreement clear and include a relevant example of what distinguishes your town: its theatres and science laboratories. You also offer the writer a guided tour, so the main purpose is recognisable. However, the required point of agreement is not clearly explained: the claim that town-centre structures are “very unique” is difficult to connect to the article’s view that centres look similar. The differences are also briefly stated rather than developed, and the letter is 143 words, below the 150-word minimum. Clarify exactly which point in the article you accept, then add specific details about what makes your town distinctive and how the tour would demonstrate this.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable overall structure: an opening statement, a paragraph about the article, a contrast introducing your town’s facilities, and a closing offer. Connectors such as “Firstly” and “On the other hand” help signal the movement between ideas. However, the progression is not always clear because the first point about agreeing with the article seems to conflict with your disagreement, and the relationship between the town’s older structures and its modern facilities is not explained. The final offer repeats the idea of differences without adding much detail. Make the paragraph links more logical and use the body paragraphs to develop one clear point each.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “guided tour,” “advanced facilities,” “theaters,” and “science labs,” which helps communicate the main ideas. There is also an attempt to vary expression with “On the other hand.” However, spelling errors such as “artical,” “simliar,” “helo,” and “othet” are noticeable, and some phrases are imprecise or unnatural, including “structure for the town centers are very unique” and “with easy way.” The repeated use of “town center” also limits variety. Aim for accurate spelling and more natural collocations, such as “the layout of the town centre” and “help students understand their subjects more easily.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “which claims that…” and a contrastive opening with “On the other hand.” The main message is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “the structure … are” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “As they were build in past” has an incorrect verb form and an incomplete dependent clause. “With easy way” also needs an article and a different grammatical construction. Work on agreement, past participles, and complete sentence structure. Combining the fragment with the preceding sentence would make the explanation clearer and more accurate.

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

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