Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-10

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 5.5)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to request you to not close the sport center that we have been using it for the recreational activities.

To begin with, last year, when sport center has opened in the town since we were using it for our daily activities like playing bad minton, pickle ball and swimming. Moreover, some of my friends were using it for their basketball game. Furthermore, it has been playing a paramount role in the community as people are using it for their fun and enjoyment during their spare time.

However, I have heard about the closure of the center which would create negative impact on the entire community. Moreover, it would be harmful for our younger generation in the town as they have been doing some leisure activity in the center. I hope you can undertstand the situation. we are looking forward to hear positive response from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Riddhi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address the three main points: you describe activities at the centre, explain its community value, and warn about consequences if it closes. Specific examples such as badminton, pickleball, swimming and basketball make your account relevant, and your request to keep the centre open is clear. However, the explanation of its importance is quite general, focusing mainly on “fun and enjoyment,” while the effects of closure are only briefly linked to younger people’s leisure activities. Develop these points with concrete consequences—for example, reduced access to affordable exercise or fewer safe places for young people to meet. A more formal and complete closing request would also strengthen the letter’s purpose.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable structure, with an opening request, a paragraph about current use, a paragraph about closure, and a sign-off. Linking expressions such as “Moreover” and “However” help show relationships between ideas. However, the progression is not always smooth: “To begin with” is followed by a confusing account of when the centre opened, and several ideas are joined in long sentences without clear boundaries. “Moreover” is also repeated, making the connections feel somewhat mechanical. Organise each body paragraph around one clear purpose and use more precise links between examples and their significance. Check sentence boundaries and capitalisation, particularly in “we are looking forward,” to make the overall flow easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including activity names and phrases such as “recreational activities,” “paramount role,” and “negative impact.” These choices communicate your main points, and the reader can understand the request. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, however: “sport center” is less suitable than “sports centre,” “playing their basketball game” is awkward, and “harmful for our younger generation” does not express the likely consequences precisely. There are also spelling errors, including “bad minton” and “undertstand.” Aim for natural combinations such as “play basketball,” “have a negative impact on,” and “access to leisure facilities,” and proofread spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “which would create negative impact” and a reason clause beginning “as.” The overall meaning is generally understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. For example, “the sport center that we have been using it” contains an unnecessary pronoun, and “when sport center has opened … since we were using it” has an unclear and faulty tense relationship. Articles and sentence boundaries also need attention, as in “when sport center” and the lowercase “we” after a full stop. Use straightforward, accurate sentences first, then add complex clauses with clear tense and clause structure. Review articles, verb forms, and punctuation when editing.

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