Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-11-02

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 5.0)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing this regarding the papers I forgot during my last stay in your hotel.

During my stay I was working on my final semester assignment and forgot to collect while checking out. It's highly important to me as the deadline to submit is next week.

kindly, secure those documents and I will visit tomorrow to collect them personally as it's very important for me to submit before the deadline.

It will be highly appreciated.

Thank you,

Noman

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You identify the papers as documents left while checking out and explain that they are important because they are needed for a final-semester assignment due next week. You also ask the manager to secure them and say you will collect them tomorrow, so the main points are present. However, the location is not specific: explain, for example, whether you left them in the meeting room, your hotel room, or at reception. The reason for their importance and the requested action are also only briefly stated. Most importantly, the response is 69 words below the required minimum, leaving too little space to develop the details and make the request fully clear. Add relevant information, such as how the papers are identifiable and how the manager can contact you.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter follows a recognisable order: it introduces the problem, gives a reason the papers matter, and makes a request. This helps the reader understand the basic purpose. However, the ideas are compressed into very short paragraphs, and the transition from the explanation to the request is abrupt. The closing, “It will be highly appreciated,” is separated from the request without explaining what action is appreciated. Use fuller paragraphs and connect the details more clearly—for instance, state where you think the papers were left before explaining their importance, then make the request and provide collection arrangements. A conventional closing would also make the letter feel more complete.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough relevant vocabulary to communicate the basic situation, including “papers,” “final semester assignment,” “deadline,” and “collect.” The meaning is generally understandable, but the range is narrow and some expressions are imprecise or unnatural for a formal letter. “Forgot during my last stay” does not clearly describe leaving documents behind, while “highly important to me” and “highly appreciated” are repetitive and awkwardly phrased. Choose more precise collocations, such as “left the documents behind” and “I would be grateful if you could secure them.” You could also identify the papers more specifically, for example as assignment notes or printed research materials, if accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response uses mostly simple sentence patterns, with one attempt to link ideas using “as.” The main message remains understandable, but several grammatical problems affect accuracy. In “forgot to collect while checking out,” the object is missing after “collect”; write “forgot to collect them.” “During my stay I was working” would benefit from a comma after the introductory phrase, and “kindly” should not begin a new sentence in lowercase. The sentence beginning “kindly, secure” is also an incomplete or incorrectly punctuated request; use a complete form such as “Could you kindly secure the documents?” Varying sentence structures and checking sentence boundaries, articles, and punctuation would improve control.

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

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