Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-04

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 7.0)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to suggest some improvements to the reception area.

Several visitors have complained that the reception area is untidy and uncomfortable. Moreover, there is insufficient seating for visitors while they wait. This area should be well-maintained but due to some irresponsible staff members dusty floors put a negative impact on customers who visit there for services.

The reception area is important because it creates the first impression of our organization. A clean and welcoming environment in the reception area can make visitors feel comfortable and valued, which enhances overall productivity.

To address these issues, I would recommend installing comfortable chairs for visitors. Additionally, the reception area should be cleaned regularly to maintain proper hygiene. Furthermore, adding some indoor plants and improving the lighting would make the area more pleasant and inviting.

I hope you will consider these suggestions and take the necessary steps.

Yours faithfully,

Manpreet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter addresses all three requirements clearly: it reports that the area is “untidy and uncomfortable” and that seating is insufficient, explains its role in creating “the first impression,” and proposes chairs, regular cleaning, plants, and better lighting. The purpose and recommendations are easy to understand, and the tone is appropriately polite for writing to a manager. The explanation of why reception matters is relevant, though “enhances overall productivity” is asserted rather than explained, and the complaints could be made more specific—for example, describing how visitors are affected while waiting. Developing these points with a little more detail would make the response more fully supported and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The organisation is clear and effective: the opening states the purpose, followed by paragraphs covering complaints, importance, and solutions, then a suitable closing. This sequence gives the reader a logical progression through the task. Linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “Additionally,” and “Furthermore” help connect related points, and paragraphing is appropriate. Some transitions are slightly formulaic, and the sentence beginning “This area should be well-maintained but…” combines the maintenance issue with criticism of staff in a way that makes the relationship between ideas less smooth. More precise links between each complaint and its corresponding recommendation would make cohesion feel more flexible and less dependent on standard connectors.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate and includes some appropriately formal choices, such as “insufficient seating,” “first impression,” “welcoming environment,” and “necessary steps.” These expressions suit a workplace letter and communicate the main points clearly. However, some collocations are imprecise or unnatural: “put a negative impact on customers” would be more naturally expressed as “have a negative effect on visitors,” while “visitors who visit there for services” is repetitive and vague. “Overall productivity” also seems less precise in this context than a phrase about the company’s image or visitors’ experience. To move beyond adequate range, aim for more natural collocations and more specific vocabulary when describing the complaints and their effects.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response uses a mix of simple and more developed structures, including the reason clause in “because it creates the first impression” and the relative clause “which enhances overall productivity.” Most sentences are clear, and punctuation and sentence boundaries are generally controlled. There are, however, a few grammatical issues. In “due to some irresponsible staff members dusty floors put…,” the introductory phrase is not punctuated clearly and the sentence structure is awkward; a clearer version would be “Because some staff members do not maintain the area, dusty floors…”. Also, “the reception area should be cleaned regularly” is accurate, but the response could show a wider range of controlled structures. Greater accuracy in longer sentences would strengthen the performance.

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

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