Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-23

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 Manager,

Hope you are doing Great!

i wanted to inform you that i stayed in your hotel about a week ago, i came there for my job purposes and i was asked to make a presentation which i have prepared staying in the hotel. i was in rush and had lot of stuff to be packed as i needed to go back to my home country, the remaining time to catch my flight was very less and i do not know how i forgot my presentation papers over there.

it is really important for me as i have spent over 5 days making this presentation and i needed to submit it to my job manager as soon as possible then i will be able to get that job, otherwise everything is going to be ruined inclding my expenses.

i really wanted to request you if you could just send these papers to my address and i would cover the cost you will spend to send it to me. i will really appreciate if we can do that way. please let me know if we could do that way.

sincerely, sukhleen

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The candidate has successfully addressed all three parts of the prompt. First, the writer explains where they believe the papers were left, mentioning the presentation papers prepared in the hotel room. Second, the importance of the documents is clearly articulated, explaining that the five days of work are vital for securing the job. Third, the letter explicitly tells the manager what action to take by asking him to mail the papers to the student's home address, with an offer to cover shipping costs. Although the salutation used ('Dear Manager') deviates slightly from the requested 'Dear Sir or Madam', all core bullet points are fully and effectively covered, fulfilling the requirements for a solid band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter maintains a clear overall progression from the opening context to the statement of the problem, its importance, and finally the concluding request. However, paragraphing is somewhat problematic; the entire body of the letter is grouped into a single massive paragraph rather than being appropriately divided into distinct sections for the context, the explanation of importance, and the request. Cohesive devices are also basic and repetitive, frequently relying on run-on sentences joined by commas and coordinating conjunctions like 'and' or 'then'. While referencing is generally understandable, the lack of effective paragraph breaks and mechanical linking keeps this criterion at band 6.0.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The candidate uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a semi-formal letter, such as 'presentation', 'remaining time', and 'cover the cost'. However, there are noticeable limitations and inaccuracies. The vocabulary tends to be quite basic, with repetitive phrasing like 'do that way' used multiple times. There are also lexical slips, such as 'job manager' instead of 'hiring manager' or 'employer', and minor spelling and capitalization errors like 'i' instead of 'I' and 'inclding'. Because the vocabulary satisfies the basic communicative needs of the task but shows limited flexibility and contains frequent minor slips, a band 6.0 is appropriate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over structure. For example, clauses like 'which i have prepared staying in the hotel' show an attempt at complex subordination. However, punctuation and capitalization are weak throughout the text, notably the consistent failure to capitalize the pronoun 'I' and the start of sentences. Furthermore, run-on sentences are common, such as 'i wanted to inform you that i stayed in your hotel about a week ago, i came there for my job purposes...'. While these errors rarely impede communication, the frequency of punctuation and structural control issues prevents the score from reaching a band 7.0.

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

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