You have just read an article in a national newspaper which claims that town centres in your country all look very similar to each other. You don’t fully agree with this opinion.
Write a letter to the editor of the newspaper. In your letter
• say which points in the article you agree with
• explain ways in which your town centre is different from most other town centres
• offer to give a guided tour of your town to the writer of the article
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir or Madam,
Read the original writing alongside its overall assessment. Open a full review for criterion explanations and sentence-level feedback.
Estimated band7.0
7.0
7.0
7.0
7.0
Response 01
209 words
Dear Sir or Madam,
I have recently come across an article, published in your popular daily newspaper, which tried to shed some light on the looks of our town centres in our country. I am writing to thank you for the article, and express my opinion on that.
No doubt, it was rather well-written, and I do agree with most of the points that were presented in the article. For example, I agree with the author when he says that the areas of most of the town centres have expanded over the years. I also agree with the fact that the number of parking spaces in and around the city centres has become relatively low.
However, I do not agree with the author when he claims that city centres in our country, pretty much, look the same. For instance, my city centre looks different since it has managed to preserve many of its old buildings, unlike many other city centres. But, if the author of the article does not believe what I am saying here about my city centre, I would be more than happy to give him a guided tour so that he can witness this fact and get some more insight about it.
Yours faithfully,
Morris Buchanon
Estimated band8.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
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Response 02
222 words
Dear Sir or Madam,
I recently read the article, “Uninspiring Town Centres” in the December 10 th edition of your newspaper and I would like to offer my thoughts on this prickly issue.
First of all, I concede that there is some truth to the claim. In the past, town centres were dominated by chain shops that varied little from one place to the next, and now sadly the economic downturn has meant that town centres are often blighted by boarded-up windows and empty shopfronts. In this respect, they did and still do look rather similar.
However, it is not true of all town centres and I disagree that St. Andrews, where I live, is like the others. As you will surely be aware, most of our towns are ancient and built to unique specifications and, whilst modernity has brought some conformity, there is an architectural difference from one town to the next. My hometown has buildings and walls almost a thousand years old that could not be mistaken for any other town, with a cathedral and castle that are known across the country for their iconic appearances.
If your writer wishes to visit and reflect upon their trite assumption that all our towns look alike, I would be more than happy to show them around and change their opinion.
Sincerely,
David Wills
Estimated band8.0
8.0
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7.5
8.0
Response 03
195 words
Dear Sir or Madam,
I have recently read your article about town centres in our country looking very similar, and while I agree with some of your points, I feel that this generalisation does not entirely reflect the diversity of our towns. Please allow me to elaborate.
You rightly pointed out that many high streets feature the same chain stores and modern developments, making them appear alike. Additionally, the rise of shopping malls has contributed to a certain uniformity in urban areas. However, I believe that each town still retains its unique character, shaped by its history, architecture, and local businesses. For example, my town, Nashville, stands out due to its well-preserved historic buildings, independent boutiques, and vibrant cultural scene. Unlike many towns, our centre has a 19th-century marketplace that still hosts weekly farmers’ markets, giving it a distinct charm. Additionally, we have a beautifully restored town hall that frequently hosts local events and exhibitions.
I would be delighted to offer the writer of the article - Mr Albert Warner, a guided tour of our town to showcase its individuality. Please feel free to get in touch if this is of interest.
Yours faithfully,
Clara Lockwood
TA Task AchievementCC Coherence & CohesionLR Lexical ResourceGRA Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Your turn
Write your response.
Try the same question yourself, then compare your approach with the responses above.
Task 1 General question loaded.
i
Part 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Write at least 150 words.
