Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-07

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 5.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to inform you about the wrong piece of information published in your recent article of Times Now related to my hometown, Brentwood.

In that particular article you have mentioned that there is a port which developed by the Australian Architect Daniel in year 1965 but it is not true. However, Mr. Daniel was one of the engineer in the founding team but not the Architect of that port. That port was solely design and developed by the local community

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it is significantly under-length at 94 words. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. While you identified the incorrect information regarding the port, you failed to explain why it is important for the magazine to provide accurate information, and you did not suggest a course of action for the magazine to take. To improve, you must ensure all three bullet points are fully developed with supporting details and explanations to meet the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter is very brief, making it difficult to assess the overall progression of ideas. There is a basic attempt at paragraphing, but the lack of development means there is no clear logical flow. Cohesive devices are minimal; for example, the transition 'However' is used, but the overall structure is too fragmented to demonstrate a range of linking words. To improve, you should use a wider variety of cohesive devices such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in light of this' to connect your ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. Phrases like 'wrong piece of information' and 'not true' are functional but lack the precision expected at higher bands. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'solely design and developed', which should be 'solely designed and developed'. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to journalism or formal correspondence, such as 'inaccurate reporting', 'rectification', or 'misleading information'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentences, but there are noticeable grammatical errors. For instance, 'there is a port which developed by' should be 'there is a port which was developed by', and 'one of the engineer' should be 'one of the engineers'. These errors, combined with the limited length, restrict the demonstration of a wide range of structures. Focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring passive voice constructions are formed correctly.

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

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