Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

During a recent plane journey, you sat next to a businessman who owns a chain of restaurants. You talked to him and he suggested that you should contact him about a possible job in one of his restaurants.

Write a letter to this businessman. In your letter

• remind him when and where you met
• tell him what kind of job you are interested in
• say why you think you would be suitable for the job

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ................. ,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Businessman,

i am writing you a letter reagrding job opportunity

Actually on 25th of october i met with you on a plane during we both went to a Ontario, i sat next to you and you said you have ownership of some restaurants. I talked with you and you gave me an email adress and possible job opportunity.

i have keen intreset in cooking and i have 2and half year of experience in food chain. currently i am also work on a resturant as a kitchen chef as well as front manager. i would love if you have any job regrding chef as well as for customer service then i like to apply for that to show my knowldege and experience which i have. this job is suitable for me i am hardworking as well as easily learn or dapt new enviroment as soon as possible

Thank you so much, i am just waiting for your response.

Hardeep kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you remind the businessman that you met on a plane on 25 October, express interest in chef and customer-service work, and give relevant reasons such as your experience and willingness to learn. The purpose of contacting him is clear, and the details about your current restaurant role help make the request personal. However, some points are less fully developed: you do not specify what skills or duties from your two-and-a-half years’ experience make you suitable, and the reference to travelling to Ontario is unclear. Develop one or two concrete examples, such as food preparation, supervising service, or dealing with customers, and make the meeting details precise. A more appropriate greeting and a slightly more formal closing would also suit this business letter.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable overall structure: the opening states its purpose, the next paragraph recalls the meeting, and the final main paragraph explains your job interests and suitability. This makes the message generally easy to follow. Some connections are less clear or mechanical, however. For example, “Actually” does not clearly link the meeting details to the purpose, and the long sentence beginning “i have keen intreset” combines your experience, current role, job preference, and suitability without clear breaks. Use separate sentences and paragraphs for your experience and your reasons for applying. Clearer referencing—such as identifying the businessman by name if known—would also make the letter feel more connected and polished.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough task-related vocabulary to communicate the main message, including “job opportunity,” “experience,” “kitchen chef,” and “customer service.” These choices show awareness of the restaurant context. However, the range is limited, and several spelling and word-choice errors make parts less clear, including “reagrding,” “intreset,” “adress,” and “knowldege.” Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “ownership of some restaurants” and “show my knowledge and experience.” Choose more precise expressions, for example “owns a chain of restaurants,” “keen interest,” and “demonstrate my skills.” Proofreading for spelling and using a few specific hospitality terms would improve clarity and flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, and the reader can generally understand the intended message. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly in verb forms, articles, and sentence construction. For example, “i am also work on a resturant” needs a present-tense form such as “I also work at a restaurant,” while “during we both went to a Ontario” has an incorrect clause structure and article use. The sentence beginning “i would love if you have any job” also needs a clearer conditional construction. Capitalise “I” and the month, and use full stops to separate ideas. Practise accurate present and past forms, then build longer sentences with clear clauses and punctuation.

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

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