Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-19
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 6.0)
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to express my deep concern about the proposed closure of the Oak Sports and Leisure Centre. As a long-term resident of this area, I believe that shutting down this facility would be a devastating loss to our neighbourhood.
My family and friends rely heavily on the centre for our weekly routines. I utilise the gym facilities various times a week. My friend often visited there for morning swimming classes. Moreover, there are lots of benefits of having this Centre in our area. People do not have to go outside to play or for any other leisure activities. In addition, Children started utilise their time doing exercise here while playing sports. My family spend most of their time in this centre while learning new skills and taking care of their health at the same time.
If the centre shuts down, then there will be a devasting affect on the population as well, People will start to go outside this town to get the facilites.There will also be negative impact on childrens as they will adapt more sedentary lifestyle.
I strongly urge the council to reconsider the decision and explore alternative funding methods to keep the centre open.
Yours faithfully,
Ravneet Kaur
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
You address all three requested points and maintain a clear, appropriate purpose: you explain how your family and friends use the centre, describe its community value, and outline consequences of closure. The examples of gym use and swimming classes make the personal impact clear, while the concern about children becoming less active is relevant. The community benefits are somewhat less fully developed, however: statements such as “People do not have to go outside” and “there are lots of benefits” are broad and do not explain who else relies on the centre or what specific services it provides. To strengthen the letter, add a concrete example of its wider role, such as affordable activities for young people or opportunities for residents to socialise, and explain the likely effects more precisely. The formal opening and closing suit the task well.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The letter has a clear overall structure: it opens with the purpose, moves to personal and community uses, explains possible consequences, and ends with a direct request to the council. This progression makes the main message easy to follow. You also use linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “In addition,” and “If the centre shuts down” to connect ideas. At times, however, the links feel mechanical, and several different points are crowded into the same paragraph. The transition from your family’s use to general community benefits could be clearer, and the consequences paragraph contains a run-on transition after “population as well.” Use separate paragraphs for personal use, wider community value, and closure effects, and connect each point with more precise referencing rather than relying mainly on additive linkers.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a formal letter, including relevant terms such as “proposed closure,” “weekly routines,” “leisure activities,” “sedentary lifestyle,” and “alternative funding methods.” These choices communicate the topic and your concern effectively. There are also some inaccurate or awkward expressions that limit precision, including “devasting affect” and “go outside this town to get the facilites.” “I utilise the gym facilities various times a week” is understandable but less natural than a more direct collocation. Spelling errors such as “devasting,” “facilites,” and “childrens” also reduce accuracy. Aim for natural combinations such as “use the gym several times a week” and “travel to another town to access these facilities,” and proofread spelling and word forms carefully.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt both simple and more developed sentence forms, and the overall meaning remains clear. For example, “As a long-term resident of this area, I believe that shutting down this facility would be a devastating loss” shows a controlled complex structure. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly with verb forms, agreement, and sentence boundaries. “My friend often visited there” shifts awkwardly into the past when the surrounding routine is described in the present; “Children started utilise” needs a correctly formed verb pattern; and “My family spend” has a subject–verb agreement problem. The sentence beginning “If the centre shuts down” also joins separate clauses with a comma and has inconsistent capitalisation. Review tense consistency, verb patterns after “start,” agreement, and punctuation, while continuing to use varied sentence structures.
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