Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-28

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 4.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well. I read the article about the centre of town in my country looks same with each other in your newspaper ,but i believe that this statement is not fully true because town centre looks different in every state of my country .

In my country , the look of the towns established according to their historical , traditional and religious purposes . Fro example , In Punjab all the centre of towns are mostly historical and in Mumbai , its all are modernaised .

When you look at my town , its toally different because there is all the shopping shops and restraunts are located . I hope you understand it now .

Your faithfully ,

Amandeep Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You show a clear disagreement with the article and make an attempt to explain how town centres vary, mentioning Punjab, Mumbai and your own town. However, the task is only partly addressed: the points you agree with are not identified, and the description of your town (“all the shopping shops and restraunts are located”) does not explain what makes it different from most other centres. The required offer to give the writer a guided tour is also missing. The response is 128 words, below the 150-word minimum, which further limits the development of your ideas. To improve, cover each bullet explicitly and add specific details about local features and a direct invitation to visit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The letter has a recognisable sequence: you introduce the article, give a general comparison, and then mention your town. This basic organisation helps the reader follow your main point. However, the progression is limited, and the ideas are not developed into clear, connected paragraphs. The transition from Punjab and Mumbai to your own town is abrupt, while “I hope you understand it now” does not clearly connect or explain the preceding detail. The opening and closing are present, but the sign-off is not well matched to the formal greeting. Use separate paragraphs for your response to the article, your town’s distinctive features, and the tour invitation, with clear linking phrases between them.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some vocabulary relevant to the topic, including “historical,” “traditional,” “religious,” “shopping” and “restaurants,” so the reader can identify the general subject of your letter. However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings make the message less clear or natural. For example, “looks same with each other” and “shopping shops” are awkward expressions, while “modernaised” and “restraunts” are misspelled. “The look of the towns established according to” also does not express the intended idea precisely. Aim for accurate collocations and more specific vocabulary, such as describing a town’s architecture, landmarks, markets or local traditions. Proofreading spelling and avoiding repeated words would make your meaning clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and a longer sentence explaining your opinion, and the overall meaning is generally recoverable. However, the range of structures is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to follow. For example, “I read the article about the centre of town in my country looks same” lacks a clear grammatical connection between the clauses, and “there is all the shopping shops and restraunts are located” has faulty sentence structure and agreement. Articles and verb forms also need attention, as in “town centre looks different” and “the look of the towns established.” Practise building accurate sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check punctuation and capitalisation, especially after commas and at the start of sentences.

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