Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-07-24

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 sir/madam,

I am merry Jain. we meet 2 days ago in the plane, we seat together and you tell me about contact regarding a job opportunity.

firstly ,I am so glad to talk with you, I would like to tell about my education and experience. I did master in management and hospitality. then I worked 2 years in Bombay dining hotel as a assistant manager, now I want to upgrade my position and applied for manger post, I have enough experience to this field.

You tell me about you open one restaurant near my area if it possible sir, I would like to apply as a manager post as i tell you before i have enough experience in this filed.

Thank you for your understanding.

yours faithfully,

Merry Jain.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: reminding the recipient of the meeting, stating the desired job, and explaining suitability. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of ideas. The tone is somewhat inconsistent; while it attempts a formal structure, the language is quite simplistic and lacks the professional polish expected in a business context. To improve, you should expand on your professional achievements and provide more detail about why you are a strong candidate for the restaurant chain, ensuring you meet the length requirement to fully develop your points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is divided into paragraphs, which helps with overall structure. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is very limited and often mechanical (e.g., 'firstly', 'then'). There is a lack of logical flow between sentences, making the text feel like a series of isolated statements rather than a cohesive letter. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus that connects naturally to the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, relying on simple terms like 'job', 'work', and 'experience'. There are several errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'Bombay dining hotel' (likely referring to a restaurant) and 'manger post'. The range is insufficient to express professional ideas with precision. To reach a higher band, you need to incorporate more specific business-related vocabulary and ensure that your word choices are appropriate for a formal letter to a businessman.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains frequent grammatical errors, including tense inconsistencies ('we meet 2 days ago'), subject-verb agreement issues ('we seat together'), and punctuation errors. Sentence structures are predominantly simple, and there is a lack of complex grammatical forms. The errors occasionally impede the reader's understanding of the timeline and the specific request. Focusing on basic sentence construction, correct verb tenses, and proper punctuation would significantly improve the clarity and accuracy of your writing.

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