Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to request my concern regarding my official papers that I left yesterday in the meeting hall. I trust that you will look into this matter and find an appropriate solution to resolve it.
To commence with, I left the office Because I was having a dentist appointment yesterday evening. When I came home I started assembling my files and documents, suddenly I realized that I help the meeting papers in the hall. I was sitting on the second bench and possibly, it could be over there.
Unfortunately, for me this file is extremely crucial as not only there are office meeting file, it has all my academic certificate's. Basically, the file is brown in colour.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The letter addresses all three bullet points: the location of the papers, their importance, and the requested action. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which limits the development of ideas. The explanation of why the papers are important is brief, and the request for action lacks detail regarding how the manager should contact you or return the items. To improve, you should expand on the description of the documents and provide a clear closing statement requesting a prompt response or a specific method of retrieval.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical or misused, such as 'To commence with' at the start of the second paragraph, which is not appropriate for this context. The transition between the reason for leaving the meeting and the discovery of the missing papers is a bit abrupt. Improving the flow between sentences using more natural linking words would enhance the overall coherence of the letter.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are some awkward word choices and inaccuracies. For example, 'request my concern' is not a standard collocation; 'express my concern' or 'write to report' would be better. Additionally, 'I help the meeting papers' is a clear error in word choice, likely meant to be 'left'. The range of vocabulary is limited, and the tone is occasionally inconsistent. Using more precise terminology related to lost property would improve the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
There are several grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For instance, 'Because I was having a dentist appointment' is a sentence fragment when used as a full sentence, and 'certificate's' contains an unnecessary apostrophe. The sentence 'not only there are office meeting file, it has all my academic certificate's' is grammatically disjointed. While you attempt some complex structures, they are often inaccurate. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement and punctuation will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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