Letter to the Editor: Banning Cars From the City Centre
Respond to a newspaper article about banning cars from the city centre with a persuasive, well-argued letter.
- Time
- 45 min
- Length
- 220-260 words
Writadia · C1 · Formal letters
NameClassDate
The situation
Your local newspaper published an article with the headline "City centre to become car-free next year". The article says the council plans to ban private cars from the old town to reduce pollution, but local shop owners are worried about losing customers.
Your task
Write a letter to the editor giving your opinion on the plan. Refer to both the environmental benefits and the concerns of businesses, and suggest how the plan could work better.
Write 220–260 words.
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Open by referring to the article.
- State your position clearly in the first paragraph.
- Acknowledge the strongest argument on the other side.
- Make a constructive suggestion.
- Use formal, persuasive language; no contractions.
Useful phrases
Opening
Position
Concession
Suggestions
Closing
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- pedestrianise
- make a street for people walking onlypedestrianised streets
- footfall
- the number of people who visit a shop or areaFootfall often rises.
- phase in
- introduce graduallyphase in the ban
- viable
- able to work successfullya viable alternative
Model answer (210 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to your article of 3 March regarding the council's plan to make the old town car-free.1 While I sympathise with the shop owners quoted in the article, I firmly believe that the plan, if properly managed, would benefit both residents and businesses.
The environmental case is difficult to argue against.2 Air pollution in the old town regularly exceeds safe levels, and the narrow streets were never designed for today's traffic. Cities such as Pontevedra in Spain have shown that pedestrianised centres become cleaner, quieter and safer.
It would be naive, however, to dismiss the concerns of local businesses.3 Many depend on customers who drive in from surrounding villages, and a sudden ban could cause genuine hardship. Yet experience elsewhere suggests that footfall often rises once streets become pleasant places to spend time.
A more balanced approach would be to phase in the ban over two years,4 while improving park-and-ride services and allowing deliveries early in the morning. Offering reduced rents to affected shops during the transition would also show that the council takes their worries seriously.
I urge the council to proceed with the plan, but to do so in genuine partnership with the people it will affect most.5
Yours faithfully, Deniz Arslan
- Formal opening with reference.
- Topic sentence.
- Concession: shows balance.
- Constructive suggestion.
- Persuasive closing.
Teacher notes
C1 feature: the concession paragraph ("It would be naive...") moves an answer from B2 to C1. Pontevedra's car-free centre is a real, frequently cited example.
Extra challenge
Rewrite the closing paragraph for a shop owner who opposes the plan.
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: pedestrianise, footfall, phase in, viable.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “I am writing in response to your article of ... regarding ... .”, “While I sympathise with ..., I firmly believe that ... .”, “It would be naive to dismiss the concerns of ... .”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (220-260 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task and content | In-depth, persuasive, fully suited to the reader. | Strong; one idea could go further. | Adequate but surface-level. | Below the task. | |
| Organisation and coherence | Seamless flow; elegant, unobtrusive transitions. | Clear structure; transitions sometimes mechanical. | Structure present but uneven. | Weak organisation. | |
| Vocabulary and style | Precise, natural collocations; consistent style. | Wide range; a few unnatural phrases. | Memorised phrases and repetition. | Style does not fit the task. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Complex structures, flexible and accurate. | Minor, occasional slips. | Errors in complex structures. | Errors strain the reader. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I referred to the article in the first sentence.
- I acknowledged the other side.
- I made at least one practical suggestion.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- I referred to the article in the first sentence.
- I acknowledged the other side.
- I made at least one practical suggestion.
Writadia · C1 · Formal letters
Assessment rubric: Letter to the Editor: Banning Cars From the City Centre
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task and content | In-depth, persuasive, fully suited to the reader. | Strong; one idea could go further. | Adequate but surface-level. | Below the task. | |
| Organisation and coherence | Seamless flow; elegant, unobtrusive transitions. | Clear structure; transitions sometimes mechanical. | Structure present but uneven. | Weak organisation. | |
| Vocabulary and style | Precise, natural collocations; consistent style. | Wide range; a few unnatural phrases. | Memorised phrases and repetition. | Style does not fit the task. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Complex structures, flexible and accurate. | Minor, occasional slips. | Errors in complex structures. | Errors strain the reader. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I referred to the article in the first sentence.
- I acknowledged the other side.
- I made at least one practical suggestion.
Teacher comment
Writadia · C1 · Formal letters
Peer-review sheet: Letter to the Editor: Banning Cars From the City Centre
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I referred to the article in the first sentence. | |||
| I acknowledged the other side. | |||
| I made at least one practical suggestion. |
Questions
- Is the main point clear in the first paragraph? Write it in one sentence.
- Which sentence is the most convincing? Why?
- Is there any repetition or memorised phrasing? Underline it.
- Does the style suit the reader and purpose?
Two stars and a wish
★ Something I liked
★ Another thing I liked
→ One suggestion
Writadia · C1 · Formal letters
Lesson plan: Letter to the Editor: Banning Cars From the City Centre
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: pedestrianise, footfall, phase in, viable.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “I am writing in response to your article of ... regarding ... .”, “While I sympathise with ..., I firmly believe that ... .”, “It would be naive to dismiss the concerns of ... .”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (220-260 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
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