Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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,

The purpose of my writing today is to inform you that an article which was printed in your magazine is delivering wrong information hence I am also living in the same area, and I believe this could be a typo which should be addressed immediately.

According to the information provided in second paragraph of that article claims that the total pond area of Hilton Hill Park is acre, while it is acre in reality.

Hence, I believe it could be a typing error which needs to be corrected at your earliest convenience because the visitor movement is affected by the issue caused.

Yours faithfully,

Shashank

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the development of the required points. While you have identified the error and suggested a correction, the explanation of why accuracy is important is underdeveloped and lacks depth. Furthermore, the suggestion for what the magazine should do is vague and lacks the necessary detail to be considered a fully developed response. To improve, you must expand on each bullet point, providing more context and professional reasoning to meet the length requirement and demonstrate a more comprehensive engagement with the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter follows a basic structure, but the progression of ideas is limited by the brevity of the text. You have used some cohesive devices such as 'hence' and 'according to', but the flow between sentences feels somewhat mechanical. Paragraphing is present, but the paragraphs are too short to demonstrate effective logical development. To achieve a higher score, ensure that each paragraph contains a clear topic sentence and that you use a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly throughout the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is functional but limited. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'delivering wrong information' and 'visitor movement is affected'. There is little evidence of less common lexical items or sophisticated collocations that would be expected in a formal letter to an editor. To improve, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to journalism and formal correspondence, such as 'inaccurate reporting', 'rectification', or 'misleading information'. Expanding your range of vocabulary will help you convey your message with greater professional impact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors that hinder the clarity of your writing. For example, 'an article which was printed in your magazine is delivering wrong information hence I am also living in the same area' is a run-on sentence that lacks proper punctuation. Additionally, the phrase 'the total pond area... is acre' is incomplete. While you attempt some complex structures, they are often inaccurate or poorly constructed. Focus on using a mix of simple and complex sentences correctly, and pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and sentence boundaries to improve your accuracy.

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

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