Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-13

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 6.5)

Dear Ms. Lee,

I am writing in reponse to the request made for the suggestions to improve the reception area of our company.

First, I want to mention the reasons for the complaints. I have read the reviews and feedback of our visitors and found the receptionist's (Liza, ID-11453) unprofessional behaviour a major reason. Most of them mentioned that she is very rude and does not listen to their queries properly.

Undoubtedly, the reception area is a very important part for our company's reputation. When customers and clients visit our organization for the very first time they are asked to sit and wait at this area. While sitting, they usually observe the surroundings and interact with the receptionist only. Therefore, to make a good first impression, we need to look into this matter.

I would suggest that we should first arrange a meeting with Liza to identify the cause of her bad behaviour. After that, we can train her for a certain period of time for the professional conduct, if needed. If the issue still persists, we should take a strict action against her.

I am looking forward to your response so that we can take prompt action.

Yours faithfully,

Chris.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three requirements: it identifies complaints about the receptionist’s rudeness and failure to listen, explains that visitors form an initial impression while waiting, and proposes a meeting, training, and further action if needed. Your purpose and recommendation are clear throughout, and the ideas are relevant and supported with explanation. The discussion of why reception matters is particularly clear, linking visitors’ experience to the company’s reputation. To make the response more fully developed, describe any complaints about the physical reception area itself, since the prompt refers broadly to complaints about the area, and explain more specifically what changes or standards the proposed training should involve. Overall, the task is handled clearly, though some details could be more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression: it introduces the purpose, presents the complaints, explains the importance of reception, and then gives recommendations. Paragraphing supports this sequence, while signposts such as “First,” “Therefore,” and “After that” help readers follow the reasoning. The closing is appropriate for a formal letter. Cohesion is generally effective, although some transitions are rather formulaic, and “First” does not lead to a clearly signalled second complaint or point. You could make the links between the complaint and each proposed response more explicit—for example, connect the failure to listen directly to communication training. This would make the progression feel more flexible and less dependent on basic sequencing phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task and includes relevant formal expressions such as “professional conduct,” “first impression,” and “prompt action.” These choices communicate the main points clearly. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, including “in reponse to the request made for the suggestions,” “a very important part for our company’s reputation,” and “take a strict action.” There is also a spelling error in “reponse.” These slips do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and naturalness. Aim to use more conventional business-letter phrasing and check spelling and collocations carefully; this would help you express the same ideas more fluently and accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex structures, including the conditional “if the issue still persists” and the reason-and-result construction beginning “When customers and clients visit…”. Most sentences are easy to understand, and the message remains clear despite some grammatical inaccuracies. For example, “the reception area is a very important part for our company’s reputation” has an incorrect grammatical relationship between “part” and “for”; “we should take a strict action” also has an article and noun-form problem. In “they are asked to sit and wait at this area,” the demonstrative does not fit the reference as naturally as “in the area.” Review articles, prepositions, and noun phrases, while continuing to use varied sentence structures. Greater accuracy across these patterns would strengthen the response.

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