Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-19
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/Madam
i am writing to provide my recommendation on how your organisation can sponsor the money efficiently. sponsoring concerts can bring the community together also helps increase the sales of the local vendors and shopkeepers which can be significantly beneficial for the community.
However, a positive approach towards the sports by funding the local children's sports team can opens vide array of opportunity for youngsters. Also, this will have a positive impact on your company if the sponsored team plays at the higher level representing with your company's sponsorship.
As per my knowledge, spending on the development and improvement of local children's sports team is a better way you can spend your money, as it will have a profound transformation on children's sport as they will have better opportunity.
i look forward to your approch towards the initiative.
your faithfully,
Ayush patel
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response addresses all three bullet points, but the development of ideas is limited. The letter is under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. While you describe the benefits of both options and state a preference, the arguments are somewhat repetitive and lack depth. For example, the benefits of the concerts are mentioned briefly, and the justification for the sports team could be more specific regarding the long-term impact on the children. To improve, ensure you expand on your points with concrete examples or explanations to meet the length requirement and provide a more thorough response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. Transitions between ideas, such as 'However' and 'Also', are used, but the flow between sentences could be smoother. The opening and closing salutations are present, though the closing 'your faithfully' contains a grammatical error. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence that connects logically to the next.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You use some relevant terms like 'organisation', 'community', and 'profound transformation', but there is also some repetition of basic words. There are also minor errors in word choice and form, such as 'sponsor the money' (instead of 'allocate the funds') and 'opens vide array' (spelling error). To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing by incorporating a wider range of synonyms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('team can opens') and punctuation (missing capital letters at the start of sentences). The range of sentence structures is limited, relying mostly on simple or compound sentences. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and punctuation detract from the overall quality. To improve, focus on proofreading for basic errors like capitalization and verb forms, and practice incorporating more complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses or conditional sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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