Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-16

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,

I am writing to express my concern regarding an international travel magazine that involved certain details about our town that in not correct.

You have mentioned that our hometown is located near the cost area , while it is near the city centre where all the amenities are accessible. Another considerable issue is public transportation, you determined that there is limited public transportation as well as about cleaning which is not true. I would appereciate that if you could contact tour editor, he could change the information or from next ensure about putting any information related travel because it would lead to misunderstanding and put negative impression towards the tourist attractions among visitors towards our place.

I hope you would understand my this considerable concern, i am sure that you solve this particular issue in future. Thank you for your valuable time.

Thank you

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: correcting the information, explaining the importance of accuracy, and suggesting a solution. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum, which impacts the development of ideas. The explanation regarding why accuracy is important is somewhat brief and could have been expanded to better illustrate the impact on the town's reputation. Additionally, the tone is occasionally inconsistent, and the lack of a formal closing (e.g., 'Yours faithfully') is a minor omission. To improve, ensure you fully develop each point with more supporting detail to meet the length requirement and maintain a consistently professional tone throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into a logical structure, though the paragraphing is weak. The text is essentially one block, which makes it difficult to follow the transition between the correction of facts and the suggested actions. While some cohesive devices are used, such as 'Another considerable issue' and 'I hope', the flow is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing. To improve, use clear paragraph breaks to separate the introduction, the body of the complaint, and the conclusion. Ensure that each paragraph focuses on a single main idea to enhance the overall readability and logical progression of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors. For example, 'cost area' should be 'coastal area', and 'about cleaning' is vague. Phrases like 'ensure about putting any information' are unnatural. While you attempt to use some formal language, the control over collocations is inconsistent. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise terminology related to travel and journalism, and ensure that your word choices are contextually appropriate. Expanding your range of synonyms will also help you avoid repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('details... that in not correct') and sentence structure ('I would appereciate that if you could contact tour editor'). The use of articles and prepositions is also inconsistent, such as 'towards our place' and 'my this considerable concern'. While the meaning is generally clear, these errors occur frequently enough to cause some distraction. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like verb tense and word order. Incorporating a wider variety of complex sentence structures would also help improve your score.

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

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