Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-07

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’m live in Guelph Ontario. I read an article about my town and it made so disappointed because it has false information about my town. It mentioned that in my town it has no bus service after 9 pm on weekends but it did not mention that we have special bus services and on weekends. It effects on people who doesn’t have car and want to meet their loved once’s they don’t like to visit at their place on weekends . But if you mention that it has special bus service they will like to visit here and this is help to grow the economy of my town. In addition in my town there is a university of Guelph. Because of this wrong information people would not like to take admission in this university because they would think that bus services are limited and it would hard for them to go here and there without buses.

I would request you to please update the information and also mention that special buses are available on weekends and also universities provides buses to students as well. This will really for people.

Sincerely

Manveer Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: correcting the information, explaining the importance of accuracy, and suggesting a solution. Your position is clear throughout the letter. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the explanation regarding the university's reputation is a bit repetitive and could be more concisely articulated. To reach a higher band, ensure that your arguments are fully extended and that the tone remains consistently formal, as this is a letter to an editor. Overall, you have successfully communicated the purpose of your letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the identification of the error to the consequences and finally the requested action. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. You rely heavily on simple connectors like 'and' or 'but'. Paragraphing is also an issue; the entire body of the letter is contained in one large paragraph, which makes it harder to follow. Using clear paragraph breaks for each distinct point would significantly improve the structure and readability of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite basic and repetitive. You use the word 'town' and 'bus' frequently. There are also some noticeable errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'take admission' (should be 'enroll') and 'loved once's' (should be 'loved ones'). To improve, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to travel and journalism, and pay closer attention to spelling and common collocations to ensure your meaning is conveyed more professionally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('I’m live in', 'it effects on'), missing articles, and incorrect pluralization ('loved once's'). While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and correct verb forms will help improve your accuracy significantly.

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

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