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 Mr John,

I am writing this to apply for the reception position in your hotel.

we met last month on a plane during our flight to Addis Ababa . I am the girl who sat beside you. At that journey we had discussed some issues and you told me about your restaurants. you also expressed your willingness to offer me a job.

I am recently graduated by hotel and tourism moreover I had 2 year experience as a reception at hawassa lewi hotel. I am a responsible and punctual person who can work in a team nicely. Although now I moved to Addis Ababa to live with my auntie. so, I would greatly appreciate you will understand and give me a chance to work in your company. if I could join it, I am sure I can make a significant remarkable change to your restaurant.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely, Kidist

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three required points: you identify the meeting as taking place on a flight to Addis Ababa, request a reception job, and give relevant reasons for your suitability, including hotel-and-tourism studies and two years of experience. These details make the purpose clear. However, some points are less fully developed: the meeting is only loosely dated as “last month,” and your suitability would be more convincing with a specific example of your reception duties or skills. There is also a mismatch between the task’s reference to restaurants and your opening request for a position in “your hotel”; clarify the role and workplace so the request is consistent. Overall, the main purpose is communicated, but some details need clearer development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The information follows a generally sensible order: you state your purpose, recall the meeting, explain your qualifications, and close politely. This gives the letter an overall structure. However, paragraphing and transitions are not consistently controlled. The long middle paragraph combines your education, experience, personal qualities, move, and request, so the reader has to work through several ideas at once. The transition “Although now I moved to Addis Ababa…” does not clearly connect to the preceding point, and “so” then introduces the request abruptly. Separate the meeting details from your qualifications and use clearer links, such as “In addition” or “As I now live in Addis Ababa,” to make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough relevant vocabulary to communicate the purpose, including “reception position,” “responsible,” “punctual,” and “work in a team.” The letter also includes job-related terms such as “hotel and tourism” and “experience.” However, several choices or combinations sound unnatural or imprecise, including “apply for the reception position in your hotel,” “as a reception,” and “make a significant remarkable change.” The repeated use of “job” and “work” also limits variety. Aim for natural collocations and precise wording: for example, describe your previous role as a receptionist and say what contribution you could make to the restaurant. These improvements would make the vocabulary more fluent and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The letter includes both simple statements and attempts at more complex sentences, such as “Although now I moved to Addis Ababa to live with my auntie.” The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect fluency. For example, “I am recently graduated” needs a correct tense construction, and “you will understand and give me a chance” does not fit the polite request structure intended. The sentence beginning “Although” is incomplete in its current form, while “At that journey” and the spacing around punctuation also need attention. Use a wider range of accurate sentence patterns, check verb forms and articles, and divide the long middle section into shorter sentences to improve control.

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

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