Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-18

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 John,

I am writing this to express my frustration regarding the sitting area for the guests. Since, last month there has been some in convince to the peoples who are visiting our company. There are certain factors of why this is happening which I have mentioned below.

Firstly, the foul smell of the nearby dumbster and drainage as this is just beside the sewage lines.Also, the coffee table which is in the same room. This combination of odor from garbage and strong coffee smells creates an inconvient environment for everyone. Secondly, the sitting area needs some improvements such as, proper chairs, stand for newspapers. According to me the first space any person enter will be the one which they remember.

Finally, I would suggest that keeping the room ventelated as well as providing a good air purifier works well. Ordering couches not by quantity but by quality will create more impresson for someone who is visiting for the very first time. To conclude I would say that small changes will always compare to doing nothing.

Yours Faithful,

Yash.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response successfully covers all parts of the prompt required for a General Training Task 1 letter. You begin by describing the complaints regarding the foul smell and inadequate seating. You then explain why the reception area is important, noting that 'the first space any person enter will be the one which they remember.' Finally, you provide actionable suggestions such as keeping the room ventilated, installing an air purifier, and purchasing high-quality couches. The tone is appropriately semi-formal, addressing 'Dear John' and signing off with a closure, though 'Yours Faithful' contains a minor grammatical slip. All bullet points from the prompt are adequately addressed and extended with relevant details, fulfilling the criteria for Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter exhibits a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression of ideas. You use basic sequencing markers such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Finally' to structure your points clearly. However, referencing and paragraphing can sometimes be mechanical or slightly abrupt, as seen in the transition between sentences like 'Also, the coffee table which is in the same room.' Additionally, some paragraphs group distinct thoughts together rather than cleanly separating the complaints from the suggestions. Cohesive devices are functional but occasionally awkward, leading to a Band 6.0 placement for Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common items such as 'inconvenient', 'environment', and 'ventilated'. However, there are several spelling errors throughout the text, including 'sitting' instead of 'seating', 'in convince' instead of 'inconvenience', 'peoples' instead of 'people', 'dumbster' instead of 'dumpster', 'inconvient' instead of 'inconvenient', and 'ventelated' instead of 'ventilated'. These lexical and spelling errors are noticeable and occasionally detract from the reading experience, though they do not completely impede understanding. This places your lexical performance solidly at Band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'I am writing this to express my frustration regarding the sitting area for the guests' and 'To conclude I would say that small changes will always compare to doing nothing.' However, there are frequent grammatical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as 'Since, last month there has been some in convince', 'There are certain factors of why this is happening', and the sign-off 'Yours Faithful'. Punctuation errors, such as unnecessary commas ('improvements such as, proper chairs'), also occur. While the meaning is generally communicated, the frequency of errors prevents the score from reaching Band 6.0, resulting in a Band 5.5.

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

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