Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have just read an article in an international travel magazine which contained some information about your town that is incorrect.

Write a letter to the editor of the magazine. In your letter

• correct the information in the article
• explain why it is important for the magazine to give correct information
• suggest what the magazine should do about this situation

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 email to discuss an international travel magazine that gives information about my town there are some points those are not corrects.

Firstly, I would like to inform you that the downtown of my town is incorrect that it will look same all over the country. Also, I would add that there are various visiting places are here where tourist can enjoy themselves.

In addition, I prefer to inform you that because your magazine have well known all over the world, everyone will read them make their validations for them, which effects our number of tourist.

Finally, I would like to request you that if you want I can give tour to your writer, so he or she can know the area very well and understand that in the town have numerous things which will allow different than the article.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Kind Regards.

John.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all three bullet points of the task: correcting the information, explaining the importance of accuracy, and suggesting a solution. However, the development of these points is limited. The correction regarding the 'downtown' is vague and difficult to follow, and the explanation of why accuracy matters is somewhat repetitive. While the tone is appropriate for a formal letter, the ideas lack the necessary depth and clarity to fully satisfy the requirements of a higher band. The response is functional but remains at a basic level of development.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the flow of ideas is often hindered by awkward phrasing and limited use of cohesive devices. For example, the transition 'In addition, I prefer to inform you' is slightly unnatural in this context. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the sentence 'everyone will read them make their validations for them', where the pronoun usage is confusing. While there is an overall attempt at a logical progression, the connections between sentences are often mechanical or imprecise.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and range required for a higher score. There are several instances of awkward word choice, such as 'make their validations' instead of 'make their travel plans' or 'decisions'. The phrase 'visiting places' is also quite basic. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of variety and occasional misuse of collocations (e.g., 'effects our number of tourist') limit the effectiveness of the communication. The student relies on simple, repetitive language throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('your magazine have well known'), incorrect verb forms ('not corrects'), and awkward sentence construction ('in the town have numerous things'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with run-on sentences. While the writer attempts to use complex structures, these are often faulty, which prevents the writing from reaching a higher level of accuracy. The errors are noticeable and require the reader to re-read certain parts to understand the intended meaning.

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

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