Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-24

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 5.0)

dear Mr. Sam,

I would like to bring to your kind notice about the complaints received regarding the reception area.Most of the time the area is crowded with people. There is no proper waiting area. The files are not maintained properly.Most of the time it is covered with dust and unwanted materials.

The reception is the most important place as many dignitaries and government officials visit us.The image of the reception will judge the quality of the company.

The area has to cleaned regularly and unwanted files should be discarded. discipline has to be maintained at all times.ther

all the files should be kept in the cupboard with proper filing and names on each file.

a

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify several relevant complaints: the area is crowded, lacks a proper waiting space, has poorly maintained files, and is dusty. You also explain why reception matters by linking it to visits from dignitaries and officials and to the company’s image. Your suggestions—regular cleaning, discarding unwanted files, maintaining discipline, and organising files—are relevant. However, the response addresses the task only partially because the ideas are brief and not sufficiently explained; for example, you do not say how crowding or the lack of seating could be resolved. The response is also below the required 150 words. Develop each point with a practical detail, such as adding chairs or assigning someone to keep the area orderly.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a basic, understandable order: complaints come first, followed by the importance of reception and then proposed improvements. These paragraph breaks help the reader follow the main points. However, progression within the final section is weakened by abrupt fragments and the unfinished text “ther” and “a,” which interrupt the message. Connections between ideas are also limited, so the suggestions read more like a list than a developed plan. Use complete sentences and simple linking phrases such as “To address these problems” or “In addition.” A clear closing paragraph and sign-off would also make the letter feel more complete and appropriately organised.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough relevant vocabulary to communicate the main concerns, including “crowded,” “waiting area,” “dignitaries,” “discarded,” and “proper filing.” These choices show some range beyond very basic wording. However, the vocabulary is repetitive in places, particularly “area” and “proper,” and some phrases are awkward or imprecise, such as “covered with dust and unwanted materials” and “the image of the reception will judge the quality.” Choose more natural collocations and precise terms to express the intended meaning. For example, you could describe the reception as “dusty and cluttered” and say that it “shapes visitors’ impression of the company.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response communicates its main points through mostly simple sentence patterns, such as “Most of the time the area is crowded with people.” There is an attempt to use a more complex explanation with “as many dignitaries and government officials visit us,” but the range remains limited and errors are frequent. Examples include the missing “be” in “has to cleaned,” the sentence fragment “all the files should be kept” after a full stop, and inconsistent capitalisation at the start of sentences. Punctuation and spacing are also unreliable, as in “area.Most.” Practise checking each sentence for a complete subject and verb, and use full stops and capital letters consistently.

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

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