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 or Madam,

I am writing this letter in regard to a recent publication about Nabha, which is my home-town, in your International Travel magazine. I was overwhelmed with joy when i read about my city as it is not so popular among the travellers.

Since many Bollywood movies are being shot here, it is becoming a topic of discussion among the public. But i want to bring your attention to a specific detail mentioned about the history of Red fort, popular as " Lal Haveli". You mentioned it was built by Mughals in the 1700s but i want you to correct your data. The fort was prepared during Sikh Reign in Punjab.

I believe it is important to publish correct historical information as it is connected to the sentiments of the locals. Because fort was a gift to the locals, unveiled by the Royal family of Nabha, which used to be part of PEPSU. And, i did not feel appropriate to accept the misinformation about something that we have received in heritage, being a local from Nabha City.

I would appreciate if you could double check your historical data and update it in the upcoming week's journals, so that actual facts could be presented before the tourists who really want to travel to the city in the upcoming years.

Your faithfully,

XYZ.

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 Red Fort, explained the importance of historical accuracy for local sentiment, and provided a clear suggestion for the magazine to rectify the error. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to an editor. To reach a higher band, ensure that your explanation of why accuracy matters is more deeply developed; while you mention local sentiment, expanding on the impact of misinformation on tourism or the magazine's reputation would strengthen the response further.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Since', 'But', and 'I believe', which help the flow of ideas. However, the transition between sentences could be smoother. For example, the connection between the historical correction and the importance of accuracy could be better linked with more sophisticated cohesive markers. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'publication', 'misinformation', and 'heritage'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'prepared during Sikh Reign' (should be 'constructed during the Sikh era') and 'journals' (a magazine is typically referred to as an 'issue' or 'publication'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. Focusing on more natural collocations will improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as the inconsistent capitalization of 'i' (should always be 'I'), 'Dear sir or Madam' (should be 'Dear Sir or Madam'), and 'Because fort was a gift' (missing an article: 'Because the fort...'). Additionally, 'Your faithfully' is incorrect; the standard closing for a letter starting with 'Dear Sir or Madam' is 'Yours faithfully'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Proofreading for basic punctuation and article usage is recommended.

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

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