Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-12
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/Madam,
I had seen the advertisement of your company deciding 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.
In my opinion, the benefits of sponsoring a sports team of children is a really great idea. As we all know, that now-a-days children are into indoor activities more than outdoor activities. Sports are considered as healthy activities and when children found it sponsored, they will be attracted and will participate in them
On the other hand, concerts are refreshing for adults. Now-a-days, jobs are hectic and kind of depressing. Sponsoring concerts will help many people feel alive and obviously they will do better in their lives afterwards.
Both are great ideas, but I think company should spend money on sponsoring for children's sports team, as it is a healthy activity for children and that will make our upcoming generation healthy and strong.
Thank you.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the prompt adequately. You successfully described the benefits of sponsoring the sports team, such as encouraging outdoor activities and promoting a healthy lifestyle among children. You also summarised the benefits of paying for the concerts, noting how they offer a refreshing break from hectic jobs and help adults feel alive. Finally, you clearly stated your preference for how the company should spend the money. Although some of the ideas could be extended further with more specific examples, all bullet points are addressed and a clear personal position is maintained throughout. This aligns well with the requirements for a Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter follows a logical structure with a clear opening salutation and distinct paragraphs for each bullet point. Cohesive devices are used to link your ideas, such as 'On the other hand' and 'Both are great ideas, but'. However, the referencing and paragraph flow can sometimes feel a bit mechanical. For instance, the transition between sentences in the second paragraph ('As we all know, that now-a-days children...') lacks smooth integration. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate the introduction, sports team benefits, concert benefits, and your final recommendation, giving the response a coherent overall arrangement that earns a Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common phrases such as 'hectic and kind of depressing' and 'upcoming generation'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation issues, such as 'I had seen the advertisement' (instead of 'I am writing regarding the advertisement') and 'when children found it sponsored' (instead of 'when they see it is sponsored'). Additionally, 'now-a-days' is informal and spelled incorrectly. These vocabulary limitations and occasional errors place your lexical performance within the Band 5.5 to 6.0 range, securing a solid 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'when children found it sponsored, they will be attracted'. There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures, including tense inconsistency ('I had seen the advertisement'), tense confusion ('children found it sponsored, they will be attracted'), and missing articles ('think company should spend money'). While these errors are noticeable and require the reader to occasionally interpret your meaning, they do not completely impede communication. Because you successfully combine simple and complex sentences despite these inaccuracies, a Band 5.5 is appropriate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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