Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-17
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)
I am writing to infrom you, that I stay at your hotel last night, in room no. 104. Last night, I was doing my office work so that I will free and will enjoy the trip but Unfortunily, due to some emergency, I had to catch my flight early in the morning that made me packed my stuff in hurry.
While gathering my belongings, I forgot to keep an important file with myself. It is placed in the study table near the lamp, that file contains very important documents as it has all my academic certificates, which is actually vital for my career.
I request you to do me a favor to kindly check tye room personally and bring that file in your custody, I will catch the very next flight back to you to receive that file by my own, I will really appriciate your favour.
Yours Faithfull
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. You clearly stated where you left the papers, mentioning room number 104 and the study table near the lamp. You explained why they are important by stating the file contains academic certificates vital for your career. Finally, you told the manager what you want them to do by asking them to check the room personally and secure the file. However, the length requirement was not met, as the response contains 149 words, falling one word short of the 150-word minimum. This slight under-length penalty prevents the task achievement score from reaching a higher band, though the communicative purpose is fully achieved and the tone is appropriately polite for a formal letter to a manager.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement with a clear purpose established right from the opening sentence. Paragraphing is used to separate the introduction, the description of the problem, and the requested action. However, referencing and cohesion are sometimes faulty or mechanical. For instance, the transition 'that made me packed my stuff' is grammatically awkward, and the run-on sentence structure in the first paragraph ('Last night, I was doing my office work so that I will free and will enjoy the trip but Unfortunily...') disrupts the logical flow. Cohesive devices are minimally managed, and paragraph transitions could be smoother to secure a higher band score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing you to successfully convey your message to the hotel manager. You attempt some less common expressions and context-specific words such as 'belongings', 'academic certificates', and 'emergency'. However, there are noticeable spelling and word choice errors throughout the text, including 'infrom' instead of 'inform', 'Unfortunily' instead of 'Unfortunately', 'packed' instead of 'pack', 'appriciate' instead of 'appreciate', and 'favour' spelled as 'favour' and 'favour'. Furthermore, 'bring that file in your custody' is an awkward collocation. These lexical inaccuracies indicate a Band 6 level.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional and reason clauses ('due to some emergency, I had to catch my flight...'). However, there are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues that detract from the overall accuracy. Errors include tense inconsistencies ('that I stay' instead of 'that I stayed', 'so that I will free'), incorrect infinitive usage ('made me packed' instead of 'make me pack'), and a missing subject or preposition in 'It is placed in the study table' (should be 'on'). Additionally, the sign-off 'Yours Faithfull' contains a spelling error ('Faithful'). These errors are frequent enough to place the grammar clearly at the Band 6 level.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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