Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-27

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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

This letter is to inform you about the importance of the sports and leisure centre and why it should not be closed.

I was born and raised in this community and the centre is a core part of my childhood. I learned how to swim at the general pool in the centre, my aged parents are part of a fitness group for the elderly that meets every saturday for aerobic exercise which helps them to be active and not live sedentary lifestyles.

This centre is an essential part of our lives, as it caters for both the old and young members of the society. It is the venue for our quarterly town hall meetings, a place for evening relaxations which gives us the opportunity to socialize and check on one another.

Closing the facility will mean we have to make use of privately owned venues, that we will have to pay fees to access, and there will no longer be opportunities to familiarize with each other.

I would indulge you to please reconsider the decision to close the centre, due to the great values is offers to the local people.

Yours faithfully,

Izere Aigbavboa

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response effectively covers all bullet points required by the task prompt. The writer successfully details how they and their family use the centre, mentioning personal swimming lessons and their aged parents attending aerobic exercise groups. The importance of the centre for the local community is clearly explained, highlighting its role as a venue for town hall meetings and social interaction. Furthermore, the possible negative effects of closure, such as incurring costs at private venues and losing community familiarity, are well described. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a local council, and a clear purpose is maintained throughout. Although some ideas could be slightly more expanded to reach a higher band, all parts are appropriately addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter exhibits a clear logical organisation and progression from the opening statement through personal usage, community importance, and the consequences of closure, concluding with an appropriate appeal. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and effectively to separate different ideas. Cohesive devices are generally well managed, with phrases like 'This centre is an essential part' and 'Closing the facility will mean' serving to guide the reader. However, some minor cohesive slips occur, such as comma splices ('venues, that we will have to pay fees to access,') which slightly detract from smooth progression. Overall, the structure is coherent and easy to follow throughout the response.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating less common items such as 'sedentary lifestyles', 'quarterly town hall meetings', and 'socialize'. Word choices are generally appropriate, though there are minor inaccuracies in collocation and style, such as 'I would indulge you to please reconsider', where the verb 'indulge' is misused in place of 'urge' or 'implee'. Spelling is accurate, and despite a few minor lexical awkwardnesses, communication is never impeded, reflecting the characteristics of a solid Band 6.0 to 6.5 performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, demonstrating the ability to construct longer sentences such as 'I learned how to swim at the general pool in the centre, my aged parents are part of a fitness group...' However, this specific instance contains a run-on sentence and comma splice error. There are several grammatical inaccuracies throughout the text, including tense consistency issues and punctuation slips, but these errors rarely impede overall communication. The majority of simple sentences are clear and well-controlled, supporting a Band 6 rating for grammar.

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

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