Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-28

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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to request you search for my important documents left at your hotel during my stay .

During my trip to Ubud , Bali at Hotel Hilton Last week, I was at your hotel for 4 days and night stay . I was residing at suite number 203 , room was booked with name under Smitkumar Patel. My stay was scheduled between 20th July 2026 to 24th July 2026. After returning from trip , while unpacking the bag, I recognize missing important documents.

The documents were under black binder , which I had left on tea table of my residing suite. The binder contains my important degrees and certification.

Can you please arrange a search in that suite .

If you find out the documents binder , please contact me via email . You can contact me on phone , you can get my number from hotel database .

Waiting for your response as soon as possible regarding this matter.

Yours Faithfully ,

smitkumar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: the location of the papers, their importance, and the requested action. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a hotel manager. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, while you mention the documents are important, explaining why they are 'degrees and certification' is sufficient, but the letter could be improved by adding a brief sentence on the urgency of retrieving them. The structure is clear, and the purpose of the letter is immediately apparent to the reader, fulfilling the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used to separate the different points, which helps the reader follow the narrative. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and occasionally mechanical. For example, the transition between the description of the stay and the discovery of the missing items could be smoother. Some sentences are quite short and choppy, which affects the overall flow. Using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in addition') would improve the cohesion of the text and help it move more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task and allows for clear communication. You use some specific terms like 'residing suite' and 'hotel database', which are appropriate. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'recognize missing' instead of 'realized they were missing' or 'noticed they were missing'. The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on fairly common expressions. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic or formal vocabulary, such as 'misplaced' instead of 'left' or 'urgent assistance' instead of 'arrange a search'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'room was booked with name under Smitkumar Patel' (missing articles and awkward phrasing) and 'The documents were under black binder' (should be 'in a black binder'). Additionally, there are punctuation issues, such as spaces before commas and periods. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles would significantly improve the quality of your writing.

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

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