Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-29

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 because of the article in a national newspaper claims that town centres in my country all ook very similar to each other and I do not fully agree with this opinion.

I think the structure for most the town centres in Fiji look similar, as such the town centres located in Viti Levu on the western side. The roads of Viti Levu Island are such that it would confuse anyone travelling to a particluar town and that person might think that every roads are same and confused about the ones that they want to go.

My town centre is Tavua Town which is in Fiji looks different from other town centres which is in central division like Suva, Lami and others. The reason is that the structure and the population where Tavua town centre is in a straight line but Suva one is on hill so you have to climb up and down and people are always crowdedand there are many stores to visit. However, looking at the other countries town centres, I feel they have a structured mall which are an outlet or a buiding which is organised and layed over each city.

I suggest that we should have a tour of my town where I would be able to explain and show you my town and in fact other town centres to compare the reasons and you are able to fully understand my writing of explanation.

Kind Regards

Jennifer

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three requirements and make your position clear: you partly agree that some centres look alike, describe Tavua in contrast with Suva, and offer to show the writer around. The comparison between Tavua’s straight-line layout and Suva’s hills and crowds is relevant, but it would benefit from clearer, more specific detail about what makes Tavua distinctive. The point about roads in Viti Levu is difficult to follow, and the reference to malls in other countries shifts attention away from the requested comparison with town centres in your country. Develop these points more fully and explain which parts of the article you agree with more precisely to make the response more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable structure: an opening that states your purpose, paragraphs about similarities and differences, and a closing offer of a tour. This gives the reader a general sense of progression. However, some connections between ideas are unclear. For example, the discussion of confusing roads does not clearly explain how it supports the article’s claim, and the shift to “other countries” feels abrupt. Several sentences also contain multiple ideas joined together, making the comparison harder to follow. Use clearer topic sentences and divide long sentences so that each paragraph develops one main point. A more conventional closing formula would also help the letter feel complete.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “town centres,” “population,” “straight line,” “crowded,” and “guided tour,” so the main subject is understandable. However, the range is limited and some word choices or combinations are inaccurate or unclear, such as “the structure for most the town centres,” “every roads are same,” and “a structured mall which are an outlet.” Spelling errors such as “particluar,” “buiding,” and “layed” also reduce accuracy. Aim for more precise phrases to describe layout and local character, and check spelling and word forms carefully. This would make your comparisons easier to understand and give the letter a more natural, formal tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses beginning with “as” and “where,” and the reader can generally understand your main points. However, complex sentences are often not controlled successfully. For example, “I am writing this letter because of the article … claims” lacks a grammatical link between “because” and “claims,” while “My town centre is Tavua Town which is in Fiji looks different” combines clauses without clear structure. There are also errors in agreement and sentence construction, as in “every roads are same” and “the structure and the population where Tavua town centre is.” Use shorter, complete sentences first, then add subordinate clauses with clear subjects and verbs.

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

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