Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-25

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 or Madam

How are you doing? I hope this letter finds you well, I am writing this letter in regards to the article I read about my hometown in an international travel magazine

Firstly, I want to make some corrections concerning the write up on the newspaper which is the name of my home town Owode Yewa Ogun state and not Owode Onipanu, that one is located in Lagos which make

them different from each other

This is necessary to avoid any form of errors in description most especially for the people that come for tourism.

However, it will be of a great importance because it will make people differentiate between both towns

I will suggest that the publisher should make corrections on the address and also republished another magazine by canceling the formal one that is printed out for better understanding.

Thanks

Yours faithfully

Wasilat Olayinka

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response covers all three bullet points: it corrects the information, explains the importance of accuracy, and suggests a solution. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited. The explanation regarding why accuracy is important is brief, and the suggestion for the magazine is somewhat unclear in its phrasing. Furthermore, the response falls just short of the 150-word minimum requirement (149 words), which necessitates a penalty in this criterion as the task was not fully completed according to the instructions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. For instance, the transition 'However' is used incorrectly in the third paragraph, as it does not contrast with the previous sentence. The flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed, and the overall progression of ideas feels a bit abrupt. More varied linking words and better control over paragraph structure would improve the logical flow of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for a simple letter but lacks the range and precision expected for higher bands. Phrases like 'make some corrections' and 'write up' are functional but basic. There are some awkward collocations, such as 'canceling the formal one', which do not sound natural in this context. To improve, you should aim to use more precise terminology related to publishing and formal correspondence, such as 'retract', 'amend', or 'erratum'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include punctuation issues (e.g., comma splices in the first paragraph), subject-verb agreement errors ('which make them different'), and awkward phrasing ('republished another magazine'). While the meaning remains clear, these errors are persistent and distract from the professional tone required for a letter to an editor. More attention to sentence boundaries and verb forms is needed.

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

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