Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Recent IELTS Exams (Canada & India) · 2026-10-06

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/ Madam,

I am writing to thank you for providing an excellent service during our office event last Saturday.

It was a privilege for me to have my company's 50th anniversary at your reputed hotel. Even though it was a big event with 2500 people, everything went smoothly until the end. Especially, the Director of my company personally thanked me for choosing your hotel and admired all the arrangements.

The event went until midnight from the evening and customer service you provided was incredible. What I liked most was your invaluable support throughout the event. The Event Manager was well informed about the situation and had great knowledge of handling such a large number of guests. Everybody appreciated the welcome event, and the food was beyond expectations. All waiters were well dressed up and attended to guests' needs without any delays.

However, I would like you to suggest for improvements in

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response responds to the task only minimally because the letter remains incomplete, abruptly cutting off at the end before addressing the final bullet point regarding areas for improvement. Although the writer provides details about the event, such as mentioning the 50th anniversary and 2,500 guests, and touches upon what was liked, the failure to complete the prompt means that key requirements are missed. The ideas presented are limited and under-developed, particularly in the final paragraph which breaks off mid-sentence with "However, I would like you to suggest for improvements in". To achieve a higher score, the writer must ensure that all parts of the task instructions are fully addressed and that the letter is brought to a proper, complete conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates some organisation with a recognizable letter format starting with an appropriate greeting and standard opening. The overall arrangement shows a basic flow from expressing gratitude to detailing aspects of the event and the service received. However, referencing and paragraph progression are disrupted by the abrupt, incomplete ending. Cohesive devices are used in a somewhat mechanical way, such as "Even though", "Especially", and "However", and the lack of a final concluding paragraph prevents a clear overall progression. To reach the next band level, the writer needs to ensure logical sequencing throughout the entire text, maintain consistent cohesion, and use paragraphing effectively to structure all required points, including a proper sign-off.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student displays an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common phrases such as "reputed hotel", "beyond expectations", and "invaluable support". There are occasional word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as "suggest for improvements" in the final incomplete line, but overall the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without impeding communication. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate. To move to a higher band, the writer should incorporate a wider variety of sophisticated, less common lexical items with precise control over collocations and stylistic appropriateness, avoiding awkward phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over structures such as "Even though it was a big event with 2500 people, everything went smoothly until the end" and "What I liked most was your invaluable support throughout the event." There are some errors in grammar, such as the missing preposition or awkward construction in "The event went until midnight from the evening", and punctuation slips, but these errors rarely impede communication. To achieve a higher band, the writer needs to incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence structures with greater frequency of error-free sentences, whilst maintaining strict accuracy across tenses, articles, and prepositions.

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

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