Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-02

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 Sir,

How are you doing,hope you are fine.

The purpose of writing this letter is to tell you about the reception and how it should be improve.

The complaint that was made resently in the reception has been much from the people that are visitng ,the complaint has been much on water ,electiricity is what most of the visitor have been complaining and we have done much to this but to no avail.

The reception is very important because it makes the people to be free in whatever they do to be comfortable and make it like home,it is also very impotant to know the types of people that comes inside and goes out too.

It can be much improve in accepting people the way they are and not comparing them with others and to make the area cool for them to be comfortable and also to be polite in talking to them .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address all three requested points: you mention complaints about water and electricity, explain that reception should make visitors feel comfortable, and suggest being welcoming and polite. These ideas are relevant, but they are only partly developed, which limits how fully the letter answers the task. For example, “we have done much to this but to no avail” does not explain what has been tried or what the complaints specifically involve. The importance of reception is also described generally, without explaining its role in creating a first impression of the company. Make the suggestions more practical—for instance, checking utilities, improving seating, or training reception staff—and explain how each would help visitors.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic overall structure: an opening, a paragraph about complaints, one about the importance of reception, and a final paragraph of suggestions. This helps the reader identify the main topics. However, progression within the paragraphs is not always clear, and several ideas are joined in long, loosely connected sentences. The repeated use of “and” in the final paragraph makes the suggestions feel like a list rather than a developed plan. The opening also includes a conversational greeting before the purpose is stated, while the letter ends without a closing. Use clearer paragraph links and organise each paragraph around one main point, with supporting details in a logical order.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “complaint,” “reception,” “visitor,” and “comfortable,” so the main subject is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are unclear, such as “the complaint has been much from the people” and “accepting people the way they are.” Repetition of “much” and “important” also reduces precision. There are noticeable spelling errors, including “resently,” “visitng,” “electiricity,” and “impotant,” which can distract the reader. Aim for more precise phrases such as “visitors have complained about unreliable water and electricity” and “make visitors feel welcome.” Proofreading spelling and choosing natural collocations would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, and the reader can usually understand the intended message. However, the range is limited, and errors recur in sentence construction, agreement, and punctuation. For example, “How are you doing,hope you are fine” needs a space and clearer punctuation, while “how it should be improve” has an incorrect verb form. In “the types of people that comes inside and goes out,” the verb does not agree with the plural noun. Some long sentences also run several ideas together, making their grammatical relationships difficult to follow. Practise accurate verb forms and subject–verb agreement, and divide complex ideas into shorter, correctly punctuated sentences.

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

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