Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-22
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 or Madam,
I am writing this letter to express my opinion with respect to sponosoring the sports team or paying for concerts by your company L&T.
The benefits of sponsoring the sports team include your companys brand can get the wide range of popularity and children also get funding for their sports team. The benefits of paying for concerts offers benefits such as free event tickets and VIP access for members in your local community.
I think company spending on local children's sports team provides benefits for both the organization and the children when compared to paying for concerts. In this way, your business will expand and increase your profits.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Samyuktha
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers all three bullet points required by the prompt, albeit very briefly. You described the benefits of sponsoring the sports team, noting that 'children get funding for their sports team' and summarizing the benefits of the concerts, such as 'free event tickets and VIP access.' You also clearly stated your preference for how the company should spend the money. However, because the text contains only 123 words, it falls short of the 150-word minimum requirement for General Training Task 1. As a result, the ideas remain under-developed and lack the extension and detail expected at higher band levels. To improve, you must expand your points with more elaboration and adhere to the word count.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter maintains a recognizable structure with an appropriate salutation and sign-off. The overall organization is logical, moving from the purpose of the letter to the pros and cons of the options, and finally stating the recommendation. Paragraphing is attempted, though some paragraphs are very short due to the limited length of the response. Cohesive devices are minimal, with simple transitions like 'The benefits of... include' and 'In this way.' While the text is easy to follow, the cohesion overall is rather mechanical and basic, which places it firmly in the mid-range for this criterion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for communicating the basic message, featuring terms like 'organization,' 'community,' and 'popularity.' However, there is a spelling error in the opening sentence ('sponosoring') and some unnatural phrasing, such as 'your companys brand can get the wide range of popularity.' The range of vocabulary is quite limited, relying heavily on repeating words from the prompt (e.g., 'sports team,' 'concerts,' 'benefits'). To achieve a higher band score, you need to demonstrate a wider range of less common lexical items and ensure accurate word choice and collocation without relying on repetition.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'I am writing this letter to express my opinion with respect to...' and 'I think company spending on local children's sports team provides benefits...'. There are minor grammatical inaccuracies, such as the missing article in 'I think company spending' and 'local children's sports team' (which should be plural or have an article). Punctuation is generally fine, and communication is never impeded by these errors. You successfully control simple structures and make reasonable attempts at complex ones, resulting in a solid performance for grammar.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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