Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-03

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,

I hope you are doing well.

As you may know , We met during our recent plan journey from India to Mexico you were sitting right next to me and it was a pleasure to met you during our conversation i really felt that i was really lucky that i got a chance to talk with you.

During our conversation you mentioned that you owns a chain of restaurants in Mexico as well as you mentioned that if i need a job i should contact you as i am new in this city and I do not have any contacts of people that might help me for finding job as a beginner I have so many expenses and have so many responsibilities to fulfill my dream

I would also like to mention that i have 3 years of experience in restaurants that is the reason i am choosing the job at one of your restaurants.

I hope that you will able to give me opportunity to work at your restaurant , I will put my all the efforts to work and make you proud.

Yours sincerely,

HA

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You successfully reminded the recipient of the meeting, specified your interest in a restaurant role, and provided a reason for your suitability (three years of experience). However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. The tone is generally appropriate for a business-related letter, though the opening 'Dear Sir' is a bit generic given you met the person personally. To improve, ensure you provide more specific details about the type of role you are seeking (e.g., front-of-house or kitchen staff) to make your request more professional and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your message. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the second paragraph is a very long, run-on sentence that lacks internal punctuation or linking words to separate the different ideas (meeting him, being new to the city, and having expenses). Using more varied transition words such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'given that' would improve the flow between your sentences and help the reader navigate your points more smoothly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your needs clearly. You use some relevant topic-specific language like 'chain of restaurants' and 'experience'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'plan journey' instead of 'plane journey' and 'met' instead of 'meet' after 'pleasure to'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise professional vocabulary and ensure your verb forms are accurate. The repetition of 'really' and 'so many' also limits the sophistication of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede readability. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('you owns' instead of 'you own'), incorrect verb tenses ('pleasure to met' instead of 'pleasure to meet'), and a lack of proper punctuation, particularly in the second paragraph, which consists of one long, unpunctuated sentence. While you attempt some complex structures, they are often faulty. Focusing on basic sentence construction, specifically ensuring each sentence has a clear subject and verb and using periods to separate distinct thoughts, will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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