Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-14

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

Write a letter to the local council. In your letter

• give details of how you and your friends or family use the centre
• explain why the sports and leisure centre is important for the local community
• describe the possible effects on local people if the centre closes

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 5.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my worry as I heard some people spreading that the city center might be closed for some confidential issues.

I would like to inform you that every person that I know living here use this mall on a daily basis. We go shopping every other day to purchase what we need for our homes such as electric appliances, grocery and even the meat and poultry.

Furthermore, I believe that the sports and leisure center plays a crucial part in our local community as it is a place where friends and families can meet and go out to have fun and enjoy their holidays.

That is to say, as I mentioned that I heard that the city center might be closed, I would like to inform you that If that happened, It would pose numerous problems to the majority of the families living here.

I am requesting you not to shut it down and try to work on other solutions because if you close the center, it will leave much more problems than leaving it open.

Best regards,

Jack Tom

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to address the prompt accurately. The task asks you to write about a 'sports and leisure centre', but you have interpreted this as a 'city center' or 'mall' where one buys 'electric appliances' and 'meat'. Because you have misunderstood the core subject of the letter, the content does not fulfill the requirements of the task. While you do mention the importance of the facility and the effects of closure, the fundamental confusion regarding the nature of the centre significantly impacts your ability to complete the task as requested. To improve, ensure you read the prompt carefully to identify the specific topic before drafting your response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'That is to say', and 'as I mentioned', which provide a basic logical flow. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat repetitive, particularly in the fourth paragraph where you restate your concern about the closure. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the use of 'it' in 'it will leave much more problems', which lacks a precise antecedent. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph introduces a distinct, non-repetitive point would enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for basic communication but lacks the precision and range required for higher bands. You rely on simple phrasing such as 'some people spreading' and 'have fun'. There are also issues with word choice, such as referring to a sports centre as a 'mall' and using 'confidential issues' to describe financial concerns, which is not contextually appropriate. To achieve a higher score, focus on using more specific terminology related to community facilities and avoid colloquial or inaccurate expressions. Expanding your range to include more sophisticated collocations will help convey your message with greater clarity and professional tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally hinder the flow. For example, 'every person that I know living here use this mall' should be 'uses', and 'it will leave much more problems' is better phrased as 'it will cause many more problems'. There are also minor punctuation and capitalization issues, such as the unnecessary capitalization of 'If' and 'It' in the fourth paragraph. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors suggests a need for more careful proofreading and a stronger grasp of subject-verb agreement and sentence construction.

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

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