Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-21

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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this to express my disappointment regarding the closure of the sports and leisure centre in our area. My friends, family members and I have been using the facilities of the sports and leisure centre since last 15 years and it has become a very important part of our daily lives because my friends and I play badminton at the centre every weekend and my grandparents use the gym facility because they have been advised to exercise daily by their doctor due to physical disabilities.

Many children from our area visit the centre daily to learn swimming which is a life saving skill. Many elderly people are part of social groups going on in the sports and leisure centre. These social groups help them to avoid isolation and communicate with the people of their age.

If the sports and leisure centre will shut down many people's lives will be affected. Children will have no place to learn swimming nearby because another centre in the city is at a distance and children cannot travel by themselves. Parents also have hectic life schedule and they may not prefer to send children to the other leisure centre. Additionally, elderly people cannot travel long distances due to their age and some may be experiencing physical disabilities. Therefore, the sports and leisure centre should not be closed completely.

I hope you will take a prompt action towards our request.

Yours faithfully,

Max White

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain how you and your family use the centre, the importance of the facility for the community, and the potential negative consequences of its closure. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council, and your position is consistent throughout. To reach a higher band, you could further develop your ideas by providing more specific examples of the 'social groups' or elaborating on the 'life-saving skills' mentioned, which would add depth to your argument and demonstrate a more sophisticated level of task development.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the prompt. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Therefore', and 'If... then' structures to connect your ideas. While the progression is clear, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical at times. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the transition between sentences is smoother. For example, the shift between the second and third paragraphs could be more fluidly connected to emphasize the causal link between the centre's importance and the impact of its potential closure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'disappointment', 'isolation', 'hectic', and 'facilities' correctly. The language is natural and conveys your meaning clearly. However, the vocabulary is somewhat functional and lacks the 'less common' items that would push the score into the 8.0 range. To enhance your lexical resource, try to incorporate more precise collocations or topic-specific vocabulary related to urban planning or community services. For instance, instead of 'shut down', you could use 'cease operations' or 'face permanent closure'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional 'If the sports and leisure centre will shut down...' (though note the tense error here). While there are some grammatical slips, such as 'since last 15 years' (should be 'for the last 15 years') and 'take a prompt action' (should be 'take prompt action'), these errors do not impede communication. To achieve a higher band, focus on ensuring consistent verb tense usage and refining your control over complex sentence structures. Increasing the frequency of error-free sentences will help demonstrate greater grammatical control.

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

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