Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-05

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

Recently I stayed in your hotel for one night and it was a very good hotel in terms of decoration, furniture, food and staff mambers. apart from that when I left the hotel and came at my home after that I checked my bag for my document and noticed that I leave my document papers in hotel.

these all document papers are very important for me because they contain my all education qualification certificates. based on that i have to find a job for me. so I am requesting you to check the room and take them from room.

I would appreciate it if you could check whether all my document are still hare. after that I will come in two to three days so please stay tuned and I will picked from your location.

I shell be very kindfull after your help that also help me in the rest of my life.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the prompt, satisfying the requirement to mention where the papers were left, why they are important, and what action the manager should take. For instance, the writer states that the papers were left in the hotel room, explains that they contain all educational qualifications needed to find a job, and requests the manager to check the room and keep them safe. However, some ideas are more fully developed than others; the explanation regarding the job search is somewhat basic, and the request lacks clarity regarding collection details. To move to a higher level, the response would need to extend and support all points more thoroughly, providing a more developed rationale and a clearer position throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement, allowing the reader to follow the main purpose of the message easily. Ideas are grouped into logical paragraphs covering the opening, the explanation of the missing documents, and the call to action. Nevertheless, cohesion is at times mechanical or faulty. For example, transition phrases like 'apart from that' feel somewhat unnatural for a semi-formal letter, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the ambiguous pronoun use in 'these all document papers'. Paragraphing is present, but to achieve a higher score, the writer would need to employ a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices naturally and ensure seamless progression throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is minimally adequate for the task, providing enough range to communicate the basic situation. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'qualification certificates' and 'decoration', but there are noticeable errors in word choice, form, and spelling. Examples include 'staff mambers', 'document papers', 'stay tuned', 'picked' instead of pick them up, and 'kindfull'. These lexical inaccuracies and spelling slips do not severely impede communication, but they cause some difficulty for the reader. A stronger performance would require a wider, more precise lexical range with fewer errors in word formation and spelling, alongside more natural collocations suitable for a hotel correspondence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing displays a limited range of sentence structures, relying heavily on simple sentences alongside some basic attempts at complex forms. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, such as tense consistency issues ('I leave' instead of left), missing plural markers ('all my document'), inappropriate prepositions ('in hotel' instead of in the hotel, 'come at my home' instead of come home), and awkward verb patterns ('I shell be very kindfull'). While these errors rarely completely obscure the meaning, they are persistent enough to cause some difficulty for the reader. To reach a higher standard, the writer needs to demonstrate greater control over complex sentence forms and significantly reduce the frequency of grammatical errors.

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

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