Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-08-18

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 sir,

I am writing to thank you for your excellent service during our company event at your hotel.

Last week, our company organized a small event at your hotel. About 50 employees attended the event. We had a meeting in the morning, followed by lunch and some fun activities in the afternoon.

I particularly liked the hotel because the staff were very friendly and helpful. The meeting room was clean and comfortable, and food was fresh and tasty. I also liked the peaceful environment of the hotel.

However, I would like to suggest one area for improvement. The parking area was quite small, and it was difficult for some guests to find a parking space. I think the hotel could provide more parking spaces in the future.

Overall, we were very happy with the hotel and its services. Thank you for making our event enjoyable.

Yours faithfully,

Amad.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points: providing event details, mentioning positive aspects, and suggesting improvements. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. While the ideas are relevant, they are somewhat brief and could have been expanded further to fully develop the response. For example, describing the 'fun activities' or elaborating on the impact of the parking issue would have added depth and ensured the word count requirement was met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each point, and a polite closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your ideas easily. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'However' and 'Overall' to transition between points. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate a wider variety of linking words and phrases to improve the flow between sentences, as some transitions currently feel a bit mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You use a range of vocabulary that is appropriate for a formal letter, such as 'organized', 'attended', and 'enjoyable'. The language is clear and conveys your meaning effectively. However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive and lacks the 'less common' items that would demonstrate a higher level of lexical control. To improve, try to use more precise adjectives and collocations to describe your experience, rather than relying on simple descriptors like 'very friendly' or 'very happy'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

Your grammar is generally accurate, and your sentences are easy to understand. You use simple and compound structures correctly. There are very few errors, which is a strength. However, the range of grammatical structures is limited; you rely heavily on simple sentence patterns. To achieve a higher band, you should attempt to incorporate more complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses or conditional sentences (e.g., 'If the hotel were to expand the parking area, it would greatly benefit future guests').

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

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