Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Sir,

I am writing to bring to your attention some incorrect information in the article "Hidden Gems of South India" published in your July 2026 edition.

As a resident of a kollam, I was disappointed to read several factual errors in the section about my town. Firstly, the article states that kollam is located on the coast and is famous for its beaches. In fact, kollam is an inland town in Kollam district and is well known for its backwaters, the historic kollam Lake, and the coir industry, not for beaches. Secondly, the article claims that there is no public transport available. Kollam city and other parts of Kerala.

I believe it is important for an international travel magazine to provide accurate information because many readers rely on your articles to plan their trips. Misleading details could cause tourists to have unrealistic expectations, miss out on the real attractions of kollam and ultimately damage the reputation of our town. It could also affect local businesses that depend on tourism.

To address this situation, I would suggest that you publish a correction in your next issue and update the online version of the article. If possible, it would be helpful to contact the local tourism office in the future to verify information before publication

Yours faithfully,

Shince

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly identified the factual errors regarding the geography and transport of Kollam, explained the importance of accuracy for tourism, and provided actionable suggestions for the magazine. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to an editor. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the task. To reach a higher band, ensure that all sentences are complete; for example, the sentence 'Kollam city and other parts of Kerala' is a fragment and lacks a verb, which slightly impacts the clarity of your argument regarding public transport.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'To address this situation' to guide the reader through your points. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different requirements of the task. The progression of ideas is smooth and easy to follow. To improve, ensure that your referencing is consistent; for example, ensure proper capitalization of proper nouns like 'Kollam' throughout the text, as inconsistent capitalization can occasionally distract the reader from the flow of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly and precisely. Phrases like 'factual errors', 'unrealistic expectations', and 'verify information' are well-chosen and appropriate for the context of a formal complaint. There are no significant errors in word choice that impede communication. To move into a higher band, you could incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items related to travel and journalism, such as 'rectify the inaccuracies' instead of 'publish a correction' or 'misinformation' instead of 'incorrect information'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are clear and grammatically sound. However, there are some minor errors, such as the sentence fragment 'Kollam city and other parts of Kerala' and the inconsistent capitalization of 'kollam'. While these do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching the highest band. To improve, focus on proofreading for sentence completeness and ensuring that proper nouns are consistently capitalized throughout your writing.

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

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