Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-25

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 this message finds you well.

I am writing to express my concern regarding the job position in one of your restaurant.

To begin with, I would like to explain that we met in our plane journey on September 28th and I sat next to you.The main reason for writing this letter is that you mentioned that you owns a chains of restaurants and one of your restaurant has a possible job position.

Furthermore, I worked as receptionist for 7 years and want to continue the same position at your restaurant. In addition, your restaurant is conveinet for me because there is no issue with the transport.

Finally, I would be appreciate it if you could offer me a job position at your restaurant because I have 7 years of experience. This would be extremely helpful, and I would be grateful for your assistance.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Harpreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the three requested points: you identify the plane journey and date, state that you want a receptionist role, and mention seven years of experience. However, the meeting details are incomplete because you do not specify where the journey was going or give another clear identifying detail. The suitability explanation is also limited: experience is relevant, but saying the restaurant is convenient because transport is easy for you does not explain your ability to do the job. The opening phrase “express my concern” suggests a complaint rather than an application, and the request for a job could be framed more clearly as following up on his invitation. Develop your qualifications with a specific skill or responsibility from your receptionist work to make the purpose and suitability clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable structure, with an opening, paragraphs that move from the meeting to your work interest and experience, and a polite closing. Sequencing words such as “To begin with,” “Furthermore,” and “Finally” help signal the progression. However, these transitions sometimes feel mechanical, and the second paragraph combines the meeting reminder with the businessman’s restaurant offer, making the information less easy to follow. The repeated references to “your restaurant” also make the message feel less precise. Separate the meeting details from your job request, and use clearer links between your experience and the role. This would make the overall progression smoother while retaining the useful paragraph structure.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the basic purpose, using relevant terms such as “receptionist,” “experience,” and “job position.” However, the range is limited and several choices are unnatural or inaccurate for a professional application. “Express my concern” sounds as though you are raising a problem, while “job position” is repeated and “conveinet” is misspelled. The phrase “one of your restaurant” also reflects an inaccurate word form, which affects clarity. Aim for more precise application language and avoid repeating general terms: for example, refer to a “receptionist vacancy” and describe your relevant customer-service experience. Proofreading spelling and collocations would make the letter sound more professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple sentences and longer structures, including “I would be grateful for your assistance,” and the main message remains understandable. However, some errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and punctuation are noticeable. In “you mentioned that you owns,” the verb should agree with “you”; “a chains” also has an article–plural mismatch. “I would be appreciate it” uses an incorrect verb form, and “I sat next to you.The” needs a space after the full stop. There are also missing articles in phrases such as “worked as receptionist.” Review these patterns and check sentence boundaries carefully. More accurate control of these forms would make your otherwise clear message easier to read.

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