Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-04

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 5.0)

Dear sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to inform you regarding the left papers. As you know that paper are most important in the hotel management and I wanted to discuss an urgent matter with you regarding this situation.

Regarding the issue, I forget the papers at the hotel office. Papers are most important for the hotel because in these papers details about the costumers booking enquiry.

Furthermore, I want you give me some details about them what I do in this situation. As a result, this situation has caused significant inconvenience in my daily routine.

Therefore, I would like to request you to my mistakes are genuine and next time I work about them. Please let me know if this proposed solution works for you.

Thank you for your time and understanding. I look forward to your prompt response.

Your sincerely,

Jyoti Sharms

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points, though the development is limited. You mention where the papers were left, why they are important, and what you want the manager to do. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum, which impacts the overall task completion. The ideas are somewhat repetitive, particularly regarding the importance of the papers. To improve, ensure you expand on the consequences of losing the documents and provide a more professional, clear request for action. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, but the lack of detail prevents a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical progression is hindered by awkward phrasing and repetitive sentence structures. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Furthermore' and 'Therefore', they are sometimes used incorrectly or do not flow naturally with the preceding sentences. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'what I do in this situation', which makes the connection between ideas feel mechanical rather than fluid. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring each paragraph has a clear, singular focus will help improve the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. You rely on basic terms like 'important' and 'papers' throughout the text. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'inform you regarding the left papers' (should be 'missing papers') and 'I forget the papers' (should be 'I left the papers'). The phrase 'costumers booking enquiry' contains a spelling error ('customers') and is not phrased naturally. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise vocabulary related to business correspondence and ensure you check for common collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the clarity of your message. Examples include 'As you know that paper are most important' (subject-verb agreement and article usage) and 'I want you give me some details' (missing infinitive marker 'to'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, and attempts at more complex sentences often result in errors. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the overall control of grammar is inconsistent. Focusing on basic sentence construction, specifically subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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