Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-27

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 to ask for finding some important papaers that i believe i left in your hotel during my recent stay.

I think i may have left the paper in the drawer of the beside table in my room. it is blue folder , and i remember when i packed my lagaug i am looking around the room before the check out of the hotel.

These papers are very important for me because it is my personal decuments as well as my bussines papers. I need this papers for my upcoming appointments.

I would be very gratful if you could ask the housekeeping staff for the checking room. If you find my papers please contact me and i will send you my mail address. I am happy to pay any postage cost .

Thank you very much for your help. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Amanpreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response successfully covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. You clearly stated where you left the papers (in the drawer of the bedside table in your room), explained why they are important (they contain personal documents and business papers needed for upcoming appointments), and told the manager what action to take (ask the housekeeping staff to check the room and contact you if found). The tone is appropriately formal for a complaint or request letter, and the purpose is clear from the beginning. While the ideas are somewhat straightforward and lack extensive elaboration, they fully address all parts of the prompt. Therefore, this performance aligns well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical structure typical of a correspondence letter, beginning with an opening statement, moving through the body points, and closing with a polite sign-off. However, paragraphing is somewhat fragmented, with single-sentence paragraphs used frequently (e.g., 'Dear sir' and 'I am writing...'). Cohesive devices are basic and occasionally repetitive, such as the repeated use of 'I think' and 'These papers / I need this papers'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly with plural and singular mismatches ('this papers'). Paragraphing needs to be used more effectively to group related ideas together. This corresponds to a Band 5.5 or 6.0; given the clear logical flow despite mechanical cohesion, a Band 6.0 is appropriate.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary range is adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your message effectively. However, there are notable spelling errors and lexical slips throughout the text, such as 'papaers' (papers), 'beside table' (bedside table), 'lagaug' (luggage), 'decuments' (documents), 'bussines' (business), and 'gratful' (grateful). While you attempt some less common expressions like 'upcoming appointments' and 'housekeeping staff', the frequent spelling mistakes and minor word choice errors (such as 'ask for finding' instead of 'ask for help finding') can cause some difficulty for the reader and prevent the text from reaching a higher band. This performance is characteristic of Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as conditional forms ('If you find my papers please contact me...') and relative clauses. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several noticeable errors, including subject-verb agreement and article usage ('I am looking' instead of 'I had looked', 'it is my personal decuments', 'I need this papers'), as well as capitalization errors at the beginning of sentences ('it is blue folder'). Punctuation around greetings and sign-offs also shows minor inaccuracies. These errors occur frequently enough to occasionally cause strain for the reader, placing your grammar score firmly at Band 5.0.

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

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