Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-01

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Letter 1

Letter to Receptionist cause I face some issues.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Iam writing this letter to complain about my recent stay at your hotel.

I stayed at your hotel room from 12th to 14th may at Room 110. It on Marriot I chose you this hotel due to good reputation but my experience was very disappointing.

My first During my stay at first night my room air conditioner was not working properly, the bathroom was not cleaned the water pressure was very low. I reported this problem to reception but not nobody came to fix it.

Because of this, I was unable to rest properly, and it affected by my business meetings next day. I would like reps full refund for one night and I ensure I am writing this to ensure that other guests do not face the same experience.

Yours Sincerely,

X-Y-Z.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the prompt by stating the purpose of the letter, describing the issues faced during the stay, and outlining the requested resolution. However, some ideas are more fully developed than others. For instance, the complaints about the air conditioner, uncleaned bathroom, and low water pressure are listed rather than fully expanded, and the mention of business meetings is slightly underdeveloped. Furthermore, it must be noted that the response falls short of the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, containing only 145 words. To reach a higher level, you should ensure you fully meet the length requirement and expand on all bullet points or task requirements with more supporting detail.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is a coherent overall arrangement to the letter, with a clear opening salutation and a standard closing, along with appropriate paragraphing for each main point. However, cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical. For example, sentences in the second body paragraph such as 'My first During my stay at first night...' demonstrate confusing transitions and rough referencing. While the logical flow is generally maintained, referencing can become unclear, and cohesive devices are not always smoothly integrated. To improve, you should focus on refining transitional phrases and ensuring each sentence flows logically into the next without abrupt restarts or awkward phrasings.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully conveying the basic meaning of a hotel complaint. You attempt some less common vocabulary items, such as 'reputation' and 'disappointing', but there are noticeable errors in word choice and phrasing, such as writing 'reps full refund' instead of 'request a full refund' or 'I choose you this hotel'. Spelling and word-choice errors are present, but they do not seriously impede communication. To reach the next level, you should expand your range of vocabulary and exercise greater precision in collocations and word forms to ensure natural expression throughout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The text contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some attempt at varied structures. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally cause difficulty or awkwardness for the reader. Examples include tense and article errors such as 'Iam writing', 'hotel room from 12th to 14th may at Room 110. It on Marriot I chose you', and prepositions like 'affected by my business meetings'. To achieve a higher band, you need to demonstrate better control over basic grammatical structures, articles, and prepositions, and produce a higher proportion of error-free sentences.

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

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