Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-13

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 5.0)

Dear sir,

I am writing this letter to illustrate the benefits of sponsoring the sports team, also i would express my gratitude for thinking about children, I find this initiative good idea for them.

First of all i would like to mention that sponsoring the sport team could help children discover their hobbies, and which sport they like more.

in addition, they can also spend their energy in something usefull instead of watching TV all day or gaming.

I would also appreciate if you could devide the amount of money that you attend to spend on two parts; the local sports team could benefit of the half, and the open air concerts could benefit of the rest, because concert has benefits too for children, they can watch some famous singers, enjoy listening to music and also dancing with each other.

I look forward to hearing from you.

yours faithfully.

Lamiaa mansour

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the three requested points: you describe how sponsorship could help children explore sports and use their energy, mention entertainment and social benefits from concerts, and recommend dividing the funding between the two options. However, the benefits are only briefly stated, and the recommendation is not fully explained—for example, you do not say why an equal split is preferable or what outcomes the company could expect. The opening also focuses on gratitude rather than clearly setting out your feedback. Develop each benefit with a specific example, and make your final choice or compromise explicit and persuasive. This would make the response more complete and your position clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The letter has a recognisable structure, with an opening, points about the sports team and concerts, and a closing. Sequencing phrases such as “First of all” and “In addition” help signal the ideas. However, the progression is limited: the sports benefits are separated into short paragraphs, while the concert benefits and recommendation are crowded into one long sentence. The link between the two options and your proposed split could be clearer, and some transitions feel mechanical. Organise the body into distinct paragraphs—one for each option and one for your recommendation—and use linking phrases that show the relationship between the ideas, such as contrast or result.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “sponsoring,” “local sports team,” “open air concerts,” and “famous singers.” The reader can understand your intended benefits. However, the range is limited, and several word choices or forms are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “discover their hobbies,” “spend their energy in something,” and “benefit of the half.” Spelling and capitalisation also need attention in “usefull,” “devide,” and “i.” Choose more precise phrases for the benefits and funding proposal, and check spelling carefully. For example, children might “explore their interests,” while the team could “receive half of the funding.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and longer structures, including a sentence beginning “I would also appreciate if…” and a clause explaining what children could do at concerts. However, complex sentences are often difficult to control, and frequent errors affect accuracy. Examples include “I would appreciate if” (the clause needs “it”), “which sport they like more” attached awkwardly to the preceding clause, and “concert has benefits too,” which lacks an article. Capitalisation and punctuation are inconsistent, including lowercase “i” and “in addition” after a full stop. Practise building shorter, complete sentences first, then combine related ideas with accurate clauses and punctuation.

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

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