Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-15

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You recently helped your company organise an event at a hotel. Write a letter to the hotel manager. In your letter:

– Provide details about the event
– Mention what you particularly liked about the hotel
– Suggest areas for improvement.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir / Madam,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Manager,

I am writing about regarding the event for my company which was organized at your hotel, event was a huge success details to the event was meticulous.

It was our yearly gala event, which is held very year at your hotel and I must say you have surprised us every time with your exceptional services. Auditorium was exceptionally beautifully decorated for the award ceremony.

Overall, I loved the food, everything was immaculate, I loved the pasta salad and chicken fried rice and the brownies were just the perfect ending to the evening.

However, I would like to suggest if the setting area could be more comfortable, as the chairs in the main auditorium wasn't comfortable to sit for a long time.

Yours faithfully,

Eileen Chauhan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: providing details about the event, mentioning positive aspects, and suggesting improvements. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which limits the development of ideas. While the purpose of the letter is clear, the brevity prevents a more thorough exploration of the event details or the suggested improvements. To improve, you should expand on the context of the event and provide more descriptive feedback regarding the hotel's facilities to ensure the response meets the length requirement and demonstrates a more comprehensive engagement with the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure of your request. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited, and some transitions feel abrupt. For example, the jump from the food description to the suggestion for improvement lacks a smooth linking phrase. While the paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, the overall flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect your ideas more fluidly throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly, using words like 'meticulous', 'exceptional', and 'immaculate'. However, there are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'setting area' instead of 'seating area'. The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the sophistication or variety that would elevate the response to a higher band. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and varied descriptive language to express your opinions more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are several grammatical errors that affect the accuracy of your writing. For instance, 'event was a huge success details to the event was meticulous' is a run-on sentence with subject-verb agreement issues. Additionally, 'auditorium wasn't comfortable' should be 'auditorium was not comfortable' (avoiding contractions in formal letters) and 'chairs... wasn't' should be 'chairs... weren't'. These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable, though they do not completely impede communication.

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

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