Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-27

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 5.0)

Dear Madam,

My name is Harman. Hope you are doing well.

Main concern that I am writing this letter to you is to make you aware about the dissimilarities of the town centers in each city.

First of all, in the starting of the artical it wrote well that main town is very convenient place. That is the one location where everything is available from clothes to grocery. Prehaps, this the particular evidence that it always seems crowded.

Furthermore, the area where I am living that quite different as compare to other town centres. As it posses unique history of the town so there is huge museum and monuments that gives the sense of great knowledge and enhance productivity. Not only museums but it also has ancient buildings that made with old bricks which hold the value of culture and history.

Moreover, I please you to write an article about main center that is in my city. As you will get numerous things to tell people through newspaper and that will be great way to let them know regarding distinct town centers. Also, it would help you to increase the TRP.

I hope you will take into consideration to my words. Looking hearing from you as soon as possible.

With respect,

Harman

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.5

You address the general topic and give some points that could distinguish your town, including its museum, monuments and old brick buildings. You also invite the writer to feature the town, which partly responds to the request for a guided tour. However, the task is only partially fulfilled: you do not clearly identify which specific claims in the article you agree with, and the invitation is to write an article rather than to visit on a guided tour. The description of your town is relevant but remains broad, with little concrete detail to show how it differs from most town centres. State your position clearly, respond directly to the article’s points, and make the tour offer explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable sequence: an opening purpose, comments on the article, a description of your town, and a closing. Paragraphing helps separate these parts, and connectors such as “First of all,” “Furthermore,” and “Moreover” signal progression. However, the progression is sometimes mechanical, and links between ideas are not always clear. For example, the point that town centres are convenient is followed by the claim that this explains crowding, without showing how this relates to your agreement with the article. The final invitation also shifts from offering a tour to asking the editor to publish an article. Use clearer links between each task point and organise the body around the three requested purposes.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for describing a town, including “unique history,” “museum,” “monuments,” “ancient buildings,” and “culture.” These choices help communicate the general character of the place. However, the range is uneven, and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “main town,” “enhance productivity,” and “increase the TRP.” Spelling errors such as “artical” and “Prehaps” are also noticeable. Choose expressions that fit the context more precisely—for example, describe the town centre’s historic character or local attractions, rather than making an unclear claim about productivity. More accurate collocations and careful proofreading would make your description clearer and more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including “As it posses unique history of the town so there is huge museum and monuments…” and “Not only museums but it also has ancient buildings…”. However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. Examples include “Main concern … is to make you aware,” “the area where I am living that quite different,” and “I hope you will take into consideration to my words.” These show problems with sentence structure, missing verbs or articles, and preposition patterns. Aim first for complete, controlled sentences, then add subordinate clauses. Check subject–verb agreement and use standard letter-closing constructions.

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.