Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-08-08

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 5.5)

Dear Bhumi,

I have review you message about the complaints at the reception area about its not clean and also the reception area is very busy nowadays so I have make a plane to improve that thing and overcome the complaints from visitors.

The reception area is most important thing for us because it is our first imprison for our company so if we fix it then we can attract more people to come in and join us.

Now, I have few ideas that how we can improve that thing by make it more cleaner and also talking people nicely is also good thing we can do and also tell all the worker to talk with them nicely. Moreover, we can also put some stuff like water bottles and snacks so they can easily but from that area and also put some toys for children to play only in that area.

Thank you for talking with me about this problem

warm Regards,

Dev Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: describing the complaints, explaining the importance of the reception area, and suggesting improvements. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited. For example, when describing the complaints, you mention it is 'not clean' and 'busy', but you could have provided more specific details to make the letter more professional. Similarly, your suggestions for improvement are somewhat vague. To reach a higher band, ensure that your ideas are expanded with more descriptive language and specific examples, rather than just listing them briefly. Your tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a manager, though it could be more formal.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. You use basic cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'also' to connect your ideas. However, the flow is sometimes hindered by repetitive sentence structures and a lack of variety in linking words. Some transitions feel a bit mechanical, and the connection between sentences could be smoother. To improve, try using a wider range of cohesive devices (such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in addition to this') and ensure that each paragraph focuses clearly on one aspect of the prompt to improve the overall progression of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate your message, but it is quite basic and contains several inaccuracies. For instance, you use 'imprison' instead of 'impression' and 'make a plane' instead of 'make a plan'. There is also a reliance on simple words like 'thing' and 'good', which limits the precision of your writing. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to use more specific vocabulary related to a business context (e.g., 'professional environment', 'hygiene standards', 'client experience'). Focus on learning correct collocations and avoiding word-choice errors that occasionally make your meaning slightly unclear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, particularly with verb tenses and sentence construction. Examples include 'I have review you message' (should be 'I have reviewed your message'), 'by make it more cleaner' (should be 'by making it cleaner'), and 'they can easily but from that area' (should be 'they can easily buy from that area'). You rely heavily on simple sentence structures, and your attempts at more complex sentences often contain errors that affect clarity. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct verb forms, and proofreading for basic punctuation and spelling mistakes.

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

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