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)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter to inform you that i stayed for two nights at your hotel in last week. I was stayed in the branch which is located in Chandigarh.

I live in room no 301 and when i was about to leave on monday evening i was in hurry and i was checking all the papers of my office work which is required for the pending tasks and i forgot that on the shelf of the kitchen on the left side.

Moreover, it is very crucial for me because i have many pending work to do and all the data and information which i was collected written in that papers.

Furthermore, can you please keep it on the side at reception desk so, i can pickup at anytime tommorow.

I will be appreciate your work if you can do this favour for me.

Yours Sincerely,

Andrew

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully covers all three bullet points required by the task prompt. First, the writer specifies where the papers were left, mentioning room number 301 and the shelf in the kitchen on the left side. Second, the explanation of importance is provided by stating that the documents contain crucial data and information for pending tasks. Third, the requested action is clearly communicated, asking the manager to keep the papers at the reception desk for pick-up. While the development of ideas is slightly basic and relies on straightforward phrasing, all parts of the letter are adequately addressed, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement with clear intent, and basic cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'Furthermore' are used to connect ideas. However, the paragraphing is underdeveloped; the entire body of the letter is compressed into a single, run-on paragraph rather than being separated into logical sections for each point. Additionally, referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as using 'that papers' instead of 'those papers'. These structural and cohesive limitations align closely with the characteristics of a Band 5.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate their basic message successfully. However, the range is quite limited and repetitive, featuring frequent reliance on basic words and phrases like 'pending work', 'papers', and 'manager'. There are noticeable lexical errors, such as 'I was stayed' instead of 'I stayed' and 'collected written in that papers' instead of 'collected and written on those papers'. Despite these inaccuracies, communication is not seriously impeded, which places the response firmly at Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but control over grammar and punctuation is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors, including incorrect verb tenses and voice ('i stayed for two nights... I was stayed', 'information which i was collected written in that papers'). Punctuation and capitalization are also problematic, notably the consistent lowercase 'i' instead of 'I', and a run-on sentence structure in the second paragraph that strains readability. Because errors are frequent and occasionally cause difficulty for the reader, this performance earns a Band 5.0.

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

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