Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-07-26

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 manager,

I am writing to formally express my dissatisfaction regarding the recent complaints about the reception area. I have received several complaints and reviews on company's official website. It was genuinely disappointing from a customers prospective.

To provide some context, editor of the local newspaper personally lodged a complain by describing the current condition of reception desk such as stains on the mirror, floor was wet with mud stains, and staff uniform was not up to the mark.

What was particularly more concerning was the customer service, attendant staff was quite rude and started yelling at old age couple. Our organization's had strong reputation and known for its professionalism but this was unexpected and disheartening for me.

This matter should be investigated and appropriate measures should be implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future. Additionally, gather all staff members immediately in meeting room. I would guide them personally regarding the customer service and give away new uniforms. Please make sure floor and proper signs should be posted while cleaning.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: describing the complaints, explaining the importance of the reception area, and suggesting improvements. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat uneven. While you mention specific complaints, the section regarding why the reception area is important is quite brief and could be expanded to better reflect the impact on company image. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a manager, although some phrasing is slightly informal or awkward, such as 'give away new uniforms'. Overall, the response covers the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'To provide some context' and 'Additionally', to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally interrupted by grammatical errors, and some transitions feel a bit mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, though the connection between the complaints and the proposed solutions could be more tightly integrated to improve the overall progression of the letter. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different aspects of the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'formally express', 'dissatisfaction', and 'professionalism'. There are some instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'give away new uniforms' (which sounds like a charity event rather than a professional requirement) and 'old age couple' (which should be 'elderly couple'). Additionally, there are minor errors in collocation, such as 'lodged a complain' (should be 'complaint'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the vocabulary from reaching a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'company's official website' (missing 'the'), 'customers prospective' (should be 'customer's perspective'), and 'Our organization's had strong reputation' (incorrect verb usage). There are also issues with article usage and pluralization throughout the text. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these minor errors indicates that you have not yet achieved the level of control required for a higher band score.

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