Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-26

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 6.0)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to you today to inform you that I came across an article in your xyz travel magazine about a town called Elgin which is my hometown. I must say that I really appreciate you for highlighting the historical significance of the town, specially its role in the history of Scotland. Although, the article is very well written and covers most aspects of this town, there is one mistake about the date it was founded. The article says Elgin was founded in 1719 but it actually is 1709.

This seems like a typing mistake or might be a human error but I suggest and request you to kindly correct it and republish the article, it will be highly appreciated by myself and other townfolks who come across the article. I want to add one more thing, your magazine is one of the most popular magazines in the whole country so it is very important that the information provided in your articles is correct and authentic.

Thank you.

Kind Regards,

Waqas

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student covers all bullet points required by the prompt effectively. The letter begins by correcting the incorrect date mentioned in the article regarding the hometown of Elgin, changing it from 1719 to 1709. The writer then explains the importance of providing accurate information, noting that the publication is popular nationwide and authenticity is crucial. Finally, the response suggests that the editor correct the mistake and republish the article. The tone is polite and appropriate for a formal letter to an editor. Although the ideas are straightforward, they fully satisfy the requirements of General Training Task 1, earning a band score of 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter is coherent and follows a logical structure appropriate for formal correspondence. It opens with the correct salutation, moves through the necessary points across two main body paragraphs, and closes with a standard sign-off. Cohesive devices are used adequately, such as 'Although' and 'so it is very important', ensuring the flow of ideas is generally smooth. However, the second paragraph links multiple distinct ideas into a run-on structure ('...republish the article, it will be highly appreciated...'), which indicates some slight mechanical cohesion. Paragraphing could also be divided more cleanly to separate the correction, the explanation, and the suggestion. Overall, the organization is clear and easy to follow, supporting a band 6.5.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with some attempts at less common items such as 'historical significance', 'authentic', and 'townfolks'. The student demonstrates sufficient flexibility to convey precise meaning regarding the error in the article. However, there are some minor lexical inaccuracies and slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'human error' instead of a typographical or editorial error, and 'townfolks' instead of the more standard 'townspeople'. Spelling is generally accurate throughout the response. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to meet the requirements of the task, though it lacks the more sophisticated precision seen in higher bands, resulting in a band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and conjunctions such as 'who come across the article' and 'Although, the article is very well written'. There are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues present, most notably comma splices, such as in the sentence '...republish the article, it will be highly appreciated...' and the incorrect use of a comma after 'Although'. Despite these errors, meaning is never impeded, and the reader can easily follow the message. Control of basic structures is solid, but the persistence of punctuation errors keeps the score at a band 6.0.

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