Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-11

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 8.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

Subject: Incorrect information published in the magazine

I am writing to inform you that the article you published in your magazine about the city of Toronto contained incorrect information about the city. I am a native of Toronto, and I would like to point out that the name of Toronto’s famous tower is the CN Tower, rather than the BM Tower. It is essential to correct this information because the CN Tower is a major tourist attraction, and visitors should know its correct name so they do not have difficulty finding this iconic landmark, which is a source of pride for the city.

In addition, I would like to request that you republish the magazine with the correct information and provide accurate details to your readers regarding the CN Tower, including the price of entry tickets, as well as the cost of EdgeWalk and other activities.

I look forward to your positive response.

Thank you very much.

Yours faithfully,

Sukhbir

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The candidate has successfully addressed all three bullet points required in the task instructions. First, the incorrect information is clearly corrected by pointing out that the famous tower in Toronto is the CN Tower rather than the BM Tower. Second, the importance of this correction is explained effectively by noting that visitors might face difficulty finding this iconic landmark and that it represents a source of civic pride. Third, a logical suggestion is provided, asking the magazine to republish the article with accurate details, including ticket prices and activity costs. The tone of the letter is polite, appropriate for a formal complaint to an editor, and the purpose is sustained throughout. Therefore, this response fully satisfies the requirements for Band 8.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organised with a clear beginning, middle, and end, following a standard formal letter layout. Ideas are connected smoothly using appropriate cohesive devices, such as 'In addition' to introduce the second point and relative pronouns like 'which' to link descriptive clauses. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, separating the main purpose and correction from the specific suggestions. Referencing is clear throughout the text, ensuring the reader can effortlessly follow the writer's arguments from the initial complaint to the final resolution. The overall progression is logical, well-managed, and clear, aligning well with the Band 8 descriptor.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient and natural range of vocabulary suitable for a formal complaint letter. Appropriate lexical items such as 'native', 'essential', 'iconic landmark', 'republish', and 'accurate details' are used effectively to convey the message. Collocations are generally natural, and word choices are precise, as seen in expressions like 'source of pride' and 'difficulty finding'. Although there is no extensive display of highly sophisticated or rare idiomatic language, the vocabulary used is precise, flexible, and completely adequate for the task, with no spelling or word-choice errors observed. This performance sits comfortably within Band 7.5 to 8.0, and a solid 7.5 is awarded.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The writing exhibits a good variety of complex sentence structures, such as 'I am writing to inform you that the article you published...' and 'It is essential to correct this information because the CN Tower is a major tourist attraction...'. The majority of sentences are grammatically correct and error-free, showing good control over punctuation, subordinate clauses, and tense consistency. Verb forms like the present simple for general facts and present continuous for current actions are handled accurately. While the syntactic variety is somewhat standard rather than exceptionally broad, the control is strong and communication is never impeded. This corresponds closely to the Band 7.5 standard.

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

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