Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-20

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 8.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing in response to an article recently published in your travel magazine about my town, which unfortunately contains several inaccuracies. As a resident who knows the area well, I would like to clarify the information and request that the magazine correct the misleading details.

The article states that the town has very few tourist attractions and that the main market is located several kilometres outside the town centre. In fact, our town is home to several notable attractions, including a beautiful waterfront, a historic cultural centre and a popular local market situated in the heart of the town. Furthermore, the article describes public transportation as unreliable, whereas buses and taxis are readily available throughout the day and provide affordable means of getting around.

It is particularly important for an international travel magazine to publish accurate information because visitors often rely on such publications when making travel decisions. Incorrect details may cause tourists to miss important attractions, waste time travelling to the wrong locations or form an unfairly negative impression of the town. This could ultimately damage the local tourism industry and affect businesses that depend on visitors.

I would therefore appreciate it if the magazine could publish a correction in its next issue and amend the online version of the article. I would also suggest that your editorial team contact the local tourism office or conduct further research before publishing future information about the town.

I hope you will take this matter seriously and ensure that your readers receive reliable information in future.

Yours faithfully,

Ajawara Chidimma

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

You have fully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly identified the incorrect information regarding the town's attractions and transport, explained the negative impact of such errors on tourism and local businesses, and provided constructive suggestions for the magazine to rectify the situation. The tone is consistently appropriate for a formal letter to an editor, and the purpose of the communication is clear from the outset. The ideas are well-developed and logically extended, meeting all the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, and the transition between the correction of facts, the explanation of importance, and the suggested actions is seamless. You have used a range of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Furthermore', 'It is particularly important', and 'I would therefore appreciate', which help to guide the reader through your argument. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sections of the letter, ensuring the text is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.5

You demonstrate a wide and natural range of vocabulary that is well-suited to the formal context of the letter. Phrases such as 'misleading details', 'notable attractions', 'unfairly negative impression', and 'amend the online version' show a high level of lexical control and precision. The word choices are sophisticated and contribute to the professional tone of the correspondence. There are no errors in word choice or collocation, and the language used is both accurate and varied throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

Your writing displays a wide range of grammatical structures with high levels of accuracy. You successfully use complex sentence forms, such as conditional structures ('if the magazine could publish...') and relative clauses ('that your readers receive...'), without any noticeable errors. Punctuation is used correctly to enhance clarity, and the majority of your sentences are error-free. The control over tense and aspect is consistent, and the overall grammatical quality is excellent, reflecting a high level of proficiency.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.