Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-06

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

Write a letter to the manager of the hotel. In your letter

• say where you think you left the papers
• explain why they are so important
• tell the manager what you want him/her to do

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing this letter to inform you about some important documents that I forgot beside the desk. These next four days I am on leave, so I cannot come to the office.

Firstly, I really apologize for my behavior that I forgot very important papers. As I remember, after the client meeting, the papers were in my hand; after that, I went to the common room, I think, where I overlooked them.

These documents are very important because in these papers we have client personal information and their bank details, so it is very dangerous if some other person should take them.

Lastly, I request that you please arrange a Zoom or any online meeting so I can guide my staff and we can find those papers as soon as possible.

I am waiting for your response, and thank you for your time and support.

Your sincerly.

Staff Member.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the location of the papers, their importance, and the requested action. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of why the papers are important is brief, and the request for a Zoom meeting is slightly illogical given the context of a lost physical item at a hotel. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though some phrasing, such as 'I really apologize for my behavior that I forgot', is slightly unnatural and does not quite fit the context of losing an item. Overall, the task is fulfilled, but the content could be more detailed and logically structured to achieve a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. There is an attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'As I remember', and 'Lastly'. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'These next four days I am on leave'. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. The letter maintains a consistent focus throughout, and the paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different requirements of the prompt.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. Phrases like 'forgot beside the desk' and 'overlooked them' are slightly unnatural in this context. The student uses basic vocabulary to convey meaning, such as 'very important' and 'very dangerous', which limits the sophistication of the writing. While communication is clear and there are no major spelling errors, the range of vocabulary is restricted to common, everyday language. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise collocations and a wider range of formal vocabulary suitable for business correspondence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I really apologize for my behavior that I forgot' (which should be 'apologize for forgetting') and 'Your sincerly' (spelling error). The sentence 'it is very dangerous if some other person should take them' is grammatically awkward. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. The punctuation is generally functional, but the closing salutation contains a spelling error and lacks a comma.

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