Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-27

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 Monika,

I am writing this letter to you regarding the complaints of the reception area where visitors comes at a first place when they entered in our company.

Major complaints about reception area are that washroom sign is missing, it is hard for visitors to find. Another issue is seating arrnagement not done properly instead of window facing, sofa and chairs are placed facing back side of the building which is garbage spot. Visitors have to move and walk to the window side for the beautiful mountain view. Last but not the least, vendor machine is not working since long, if visitors want to buy something to eat but they are unable to do so.

Reception area is an essential part of the company because it is a place where everyone comes and goes. If any visitors want something they will visit reception area only. Reception is the prime location for the visitors to wait for long time. Reception area needs to be well maintain with all essential amenities for the visitors.

Here are the few suggestions to overcome the complaints of reception area. Firstly, there should be proper signs and posters to indicate where washroom is located. Secondly, seating arrangements need to be change and arrange facing to window and add more chairs for visitors during rush hours. Lastly, vendor machine needs to be fix so that visitors can enjoy snacks and drinks.

Yours faithfully,

Heli

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You successfully covered all parts of the prompt required for a General Training Task 1 letter. You described the complaints clearly, such as the missing washroom signs, improper seating arrangement facing the garbage spot, and the broken vending machine. You also explained why the reception area is important, noting that it is a prime location for visitors and forms their first impression of the company. Furthermore, you provided practical suggestions for improvement, including adding signs, rearranging furniture, and fixing the vending machine. The tone is semi-formal and appropriate for writing to a manager. Your ideas are relevant and well-developed throughout the letter, matching the Band 7 descriptor where all parts of the task are fully addressed with clear support.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter follows a clear logical organization with distinct paragraphs for each bullet point, plus appropriate opening and closing salutations. You used useful cohesive devices and transition signals such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Lastly' to structure your suggestions effectively. However, referencing and cohesion are occasionally clunky, such as 'where visitors comes at a first place when they entered in our company' and 'if visitors want something they will visit reception area only'. While the logical progression is clear throughout and paragraphing is used sufficiently, these minor mechanical transitions limit the score to a Band 6.0, aligning well with the descriptor where cohesion is sometimes faulty or mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You demonstrated an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'essential amenities', 'rush hours', and 'prime location'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors that prevent a higher score, such as 'vendor machine' instead of 'vending machine', 'seating arrnagement not done properly' instead of 'seating arrangement is inadequate', and 'since long' instead of 'for a long time'. Spelling errors like 'arrnagement' also occur. These errors do not impede communication, but they reflect the Band 6 descriptor where an adequate range is attempted with some inaccuracies in word choice and spelling.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You used a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting relative clauses and conditional structures such as 'if visitors want to buy something to eat but they are unable to do so'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors in verb tenses, prepositions, and subject-verb agreement throughout the text. Examples include 'where visitors comes' (come), 'when they entered in' (entered), 'seating arrnagement not done properly' (missing verb/copula), and 'needs to be fix' (fixed). Despite these errors, meaning is generally clear and does not impede communication. This performance fits the Band 5.0 to 6.0 range; because you successfully communicate complex thoughts with a reasonable mix of structures despite the errors, a Band 6.0 is awarded.

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

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