Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-08

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 6.5)

Dear Sir,

I am writing in response to your article that I read in your magazine about Prince Rupert last Friday. The article says that the town has many industries which sanitizes their waste into the ocean and polluting it. This information is incorrect.

The town has a waste treatment plant where all waste is deposited, and purified in it. Furthermore, the town has clear laws, and they impose heavy fines if anyone found polluting the ocean.

Since your magazine is popular and read around the world, this article may present a negative image of the town. Moreover, it can reduce the tourism as many people visit the town to enjoy the sea and its view.

I would appreciate it if you could republish the article with the correct information. If you would like, I can provide you with a guide tour of the plant which would help you understand how the town dealing with their waste. Please let me know if you are interested through this letter.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Yours sincerely,

Parvinderjeet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly identified the incorrect information regarding the waste disposal in Prince Rupert, explained the potential negative impact on tourism and the town's reputation, and provided a constructive suggestion for the magazine to republish the article. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to an editor. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on the 'why it is important' section by discussing the broader implications of journalistic integrity or the specific economic impact on local businesses, which would demonstrate more fully developed ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Since', and 'Moreover' to link your ideas effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the task. The progression of ideas is smooth and easy to follow. To improve, ensure that referencing remains precise; for example, in the second paragraph, 'they' is used to refer to 'the town', which is slightly imprecise as a town cannot impose fines—the local authorities do. Overall, the structure is clear and functional.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms like 'republish', 'incorrect', and 'prompt response'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'sanitizes their waste into the ocean' (waste is usually 'discharged' or 'dumped') and 'guide tour' (should be 'guided tour'). Additionally, 'how the town dealing with' should be 'how the town deals with'. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over collocations and verb forms to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips, such as 'if anyone found polluting' (should be 'if anyone is found'), 'reduce the tourism' (the article 'the' is unnecessary here), and 'how the town dealing with' (should be 'deals with'). Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear throughout the letter. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures, such as using more conditional or passive constructions, would help demonstrate a wider grammatical range.

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

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