Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-27
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 6.5)
Dear Sir or Madam,
I recently read you international travel magazine and there was an article about my town, namely Mississauga. In this article I came across some errors which I would like to bring to your attention. There was incorrect information about the places situated in my town as well as the tourist attractions situated here.
I believe it is essential to provide accurate information even if that requires more research. Misinterpreting information can misinform people about the real facts.
I believe that a follow-up article should be published to correct the errors from the initial article. And an apologetic statement should also be made for this situation and stating that it would be addressed going forward.
I thank you for your time and look forard to reading your next publication. Being an usual reader of your magazine, I hope that I have helped you to uphold the brand's name whilst also addressing the issue at hand.
Kind regards,
Bhumika
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You identify the subject of the complaint—incorrect information about Mississauga—and explain why accuracy matters, so the letter is relevant and its purpose is apparent. However, the key correction is not actually provided: “errors” about places and tourist attractions remains general, without stating what the article got wrong or what the correct facts are. The importance of accuracy is also explained briefly, mainly by saying readers may be misinformed. Your proposed follow-up article and apology address the final bullet, but the remedy could be more specific. These omissions leave the task only partly addressed and the ideas under-developed. State one or two precise corrections, explain their practical impact on visitors, and request a clear corrective action.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0
The letter is organised into clear paragraphs, each with a recognisable purpose: introducing the problem, explaining the need for accuracy, proposing a response, and closing politely. This gives the reader a logical progression, and phrases such as “In this article” and “I believe” help signal the stages of your message. The overall structure is effective for a formal letter. Some links between ideas are less smooth, however: the sentence beginning “And an apologetic statement” feels detached from the preceding recommendation, and “for this situation and stating” does not connect the two requested actions cleanly. The closing also shifts quickly from thanks to the magazine’s brand. Use more integrated sentence links and clearer references to make the progression feel consistently natural.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a formal complaint, including “accurate information,” “misinform,” “follow-up article,” and “addressing the issue.” These choices communicate the main points and show some attempt to use more formal language than everyday conversation. There are, however, several inaccurate or awkward choices that limit precision. “Misinterpreting information” does not quite express the intended idea of publishing incorrect facts, while “an apologetic statement” and “uphold the brand’s name” are not natural collocations in this context. There is also a spelling error in “look forard.” Aim for precise, idiomatic phrases such as “publishing inaccurate information,” “a formal apology,” and “protect the magazine’s reputation,” and proofread spelling carefully.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5
You use a mix of simple and more developed sentence forms, and several sentences are grammatically clear, including “I believe it is essential to provide accurate information even if that requires more research.” The message remains understandable throughout. Some errors and awkward constructions remain, which is consistent with partial rather than consistently strong control. In “I recently read you international travel magazine,” the possessive determiner should be “your.” The sentence “And an apologetic statement should also be made for this situation and stating that it would be addressed going forward” has an incomplete, unbalanced structure: coordinate the actions, for example, “You should also issue an apology and state that steps will be taken to prevent this happening again.” Continue varying sentence structures while checking possessives and parallel construction.
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