Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-20

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

Write a letter to the local council. In your letter

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

# Dear Sir/Madam

Hello! I am writing this letter to you about how community centre is very useful for local people and is used by number of people on daily basis for different activities.

Firstly, my family members, me and my friends go to this Centre in evening for daily walk, yoga and other exercises.

In this modern era, leisure and sport Centres has become very important for everyone because it attracts people to communicate with each other that helps to build good relations in society. Apart from this, these Centres also offers good places for running and other different zones for different activities like yoga.

Nextly, this centre is directly helping the local people to improve health by

on participating in sport activities

and in case it close so

It can lead to health

problems.

Yours faithfully

Sukhpreet Singh.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses all three bullet points of the prompt, covering personal usage, the importance of the centre, and the consequences of closure. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited and brief. The letter is also under the 150-word minimum requirement, which significantly impacts the depth of the response. The ideas are presented in a very basic manner, and the explanation of the effects of closure is fragmented and lacks sufficient detail to fully satisfy the task requirements. To improve, you should expand on your points with specific examples and ensure you meet the minimum word count to allow for a more comprehensive discussion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter uses basic paragraphing, but the flow between ideas is somewhat disjointed. While there are some attempts at cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Apart from this', and 'Nextly', the use of 'Nextly' is non-standard. The logical progression is hindered by the brevity of the paragraphs and the fragmented structure of the final paragraph. The referencing is occasionally unclear, and the overall organization feels mechanical rather than natural. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph contains a fully developed, cohesive argument that flows logically into the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'very useful', 'good places', and 'different activities' are used frequently. There is little evidence of less common or more sophisticated lexical items. Some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'communicate with each other' in the context of a sports centre, where 'socialise' or 'interact' would be more precise. To reach a higher band, you should aim to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to community and health, and avoid repeating simple adjectives.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Examples include 'community centre is very useful' (missing article), 'my family members, me and my friends' (awkward phrasing), and 'in case it close so' (incorrect conditional structure). There are also issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'Centres has become' and 'Centres also offers'. These errors occasionally impede the flow of reading. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement, article usage, and the correct formation of conditional sentences.

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

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