Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-12
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
A large company in your area has decided to spend a certain amount of money, either to sponsor a local children's sports team for two years, or to pay for two open-air concerts. It has asked for feedback from the general public.
Write a letter to the company. In your letter
- describe the benefits of sponsoring the sports team
- summarise the benefits of paying for the concerts
- say how you think the company should spend the money
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 am writing about your plan to spend money on our area . I would like to give my perspective.
If you sponsor to a local children’s sports team it will have many benefits. First children will be healthy and active . They can also learn about team work . Second , They will spend time outside instead of sitting in front of screens. They will also stay away from bad habits it will be for 2 years, I think it is a long term Benefit.
Spending money on two open concerts are some benefits,like people will entertain themselves and families also enjoy music but it’s is for only two days so it is a very short time benefit.
In my perspective you should spend on children’s sport team this wil help our children for a long time but concert are only for 2 days . So it will also give very good name to our company
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You address all three requested points: you describe health, teamwork and reduced screen time as benefits of sponsorship, mention that concerts offer entertainment for families, and clearly recommend supporting the sports team. The recommendation is relevant and supported by the contrast between a two-year programme and concerts lasting only two days. However, the ideas remain limited and are not fully developed. For example, you could explain how the company or wider community would benefit from supporting children, and give more detail about the concerts’ value beyond entertainment. The position is clear by the end, but the opening could state more directly that you are responding to the company’s choice. Develop each benefit with a specific explanation to make the response more complete.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The letter has a basic, understandable structure: an opening, a paragraph about the sports team, a paragraph about concerts, and a final recommendation. Sequencing words such as “First” and “Second” help organise the sponsorship benefits, and the final paragraph makes your preference easy to identify. However, progression is somewhat mechanical and links between ideas are sometimes unclear. In the sports paragraph, “They will also stay away from bad habits it will be for 2 years” joins several ideas without a clear relationship or punctuation. The concerts paragraph is also compressed into one long sequence. Use separate sentences and clearer links such as “In addition” or “By contrast,” and ensure each paragraph develops one main point.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main ideas, with relevant expressions such as “healthy and active,” “team work,” “open concerts,” and “long term benefit.” However, the range is limited, and several choices or forms sound unnatural or imprecise, including “sponsor to a local children’s sports team,” “spend on children’s sport team,” and “give very good name to our company.” Repetition of “benefit” and “spend” also limits variety. Aim for more precise collocations, such as “sponsor a local children’s team,” “fund the team,” and “enhance the company’s reputation.” Check spelling and word forms too: “wil” and “concerts” in “two open concerts” reduce accuracy and polish.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You communicate the main message using mostly simple sentence patterns, and there are attempts to connect ideas with “if,” “but,” and “so.” However, the range is limited, and attempts to combine clauses are often faulty. For example, “They will also stay away from bad habits it will be for 2 years” is a run-on sentence, while “Spending money on two open concerts are some benefits” has subject–verb disagreement. Other issues include missing or inconsistent articles and punctuation, as in “you should spend on children’s sport team,” and inconsistent capitalisation after commas. These errors sometimes make the relationships between ideas harder to follow. Practise accurate compound sentences and check agreement, articles, and sentence boundaries when proofreading.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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