Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-06

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 Karan,

I hope you are doing great, I am writing this to you to make some suggestion regarding the improvement of our reception area.

Recently, we have received several complaints from visitors regarding the waiting time is very long especially during the peak hours because we have just one receptionist to do all the work. Some clients also mentioned that our front area is overcrowded, poor lighting, and unclear direction signs which are affecting our business standard.

Reception area is such a significant part of our company because this is the first step to meet clients for job applications and business meetings. Moreover, it shows the professionalism and helps to strengthen the bond with customers.

To improve the reception area, we need to hire one more receptionist to reduce the waiting time. In addition, new sign directions, well-organized seating area, redesign the decor, and, new paint would definitely enhance our first impression on visitors.

I hope you will consider my suggestions and I believe this would help you to improve our area.

Yours sincerely,

Parminder Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly describe the complaints regarding waiting times and the physical environment, explain the importance of the reception area for company image, and provide actionable suggestions for improvement. The tone is appropriate for a professional letter to a manager. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on the impact of these issues on the company's reputation to provide more depth to your arguments. Overall, the task is fully addressed with a clear purpose maintained throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs addressing each bullet point, and a polite closing. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different ideas. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'In addition' to link your points. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the transition between sentences is smoother. For instance, the list of improvements in the third paragraph is a bit disjointed and would benefit from more sophisticated connective phrasing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'peak hours', 'business standard', and 'strengthen the bond' are used appropriately. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'unclear direction signs' (better: 'poor signage') and 'make some suggestion' (should be plural: 'suggestions'). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more precise professional terminology would elevate the response to a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as the comma splice in the first sentence ('...doing great, I am writing...') and the inconsistent structure in the list of complaints ('...overcrowded, poor lighting, and unclear direction signs'). Additionally, 'redesign the decor' should be 'redesigning the decor' to maintain parallel structure. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. To improve, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and consistent grammatical forms within lists.

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

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