Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

There have been several complaints about the reception area where visitors to your company arrive. Your manager has asked you to suggest how the reception area could be improved.

Write a letter to your manager. In your letter

• describe the complaints that have been made
• say why the reception area is important
• suggest how the reception area could be improved

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ................. ,

Student answer (Band 5.0)

Dear manager,

I am writing this letter to request you to do something for complaints about the reception area by visitors.

Most of the complaint were about large ques and time consuming procedures. People were already tired from the long trip and they have to still wait in ques they were already exhaused and want to relax.

The reception area is the first impression of any visitors. The person sitting over there should be polite and he/she should know his/her responsibilities. They should know how to deal with people. They should know skill of time management.

That's why reception area could be improved by qualified staffs and their management.Thank you sir for listenting to my request i will look forward to your reply.

Thank you....

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the three requested points: you mention long queues and time-consuming procedures, explain that reception creates visitors’ first impression, and recommend qualified staff with better management. However, the complaints and proposed improvements are only briefly stated, so the letter addresses the task partially rather than developing its ideas. For example, explain what visitors experience while waiting and give practical changes, such as clearer check-in procedures, additional staff at busy times, or comfortable seating. The response also contains 125 words, below the required minimum of 150, so it needs more relevant detail. A more suitable closing and a specific request for your manager’s consideration would make the purpose clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence: it introduces the complaint, describes the reception area’s importance, and then suggests an improvement. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these points. However, progression is limited, and some links between ideas are unclear. In “People were already tired from the long trip and they have to still wait,” the relationship between the visitors’ situation and the complaint could be expressed more smoothly. The final recommendation is also joined directly to “Thank you,” making the ending feel abrupt. Use clearer transitions and develop each point in its own paragraph; for example, connect the first impression to the company’s image, then introduce specific improvements with “To address these issues.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “complaints,” “reception area,” “first impression,” and “time management,” so the main message is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several choices or spellings are inaccurate, which makes the letter less natural. “Large ques” should be “long queues,” and “exhaused” should be “exhausted”; “staffs” is not the usual plural form of “staff.” The phrase “person sitting over there” is also vague and informal for a letter to a manager. Aim for more precise workplace language, such as “reception staff,” “check-in process,” and “visitor waiting times,” and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You communicate using mostly simple sentence patterns, with a few attempts to combine ideas, but the range is limited and errors occur frequently. For example, “Most of the complaint were” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “People were already tired … and they have to still wait” shifts tense within the same description. The sentence beginning “The person sitting over there” also moves from a singular person to “They,” which makes the reference less consistent. Punctuation and sentence boundaries need attention in the final section, where “management.Thank you” runs together. Practise accurate plural forms, consistent past or present tense, and complete sentences before attempting longer structures.

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