Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-11-06

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You recently organised an all-day meeting for your company, which took place in a local hotel. In their feedback, participants at the meeting said that they liked the hotel, but they were unhappy about the food that was served for lunch.

Write a letter to the manager of the hotel. In your letter

• say what the participants liked about the hotel
• explain why they were unhappy about the food
• suggest what the manager should do to improve the food in future

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Sir,

I am writing a letter to inform you that last month I came your hotel where my office meeting held.

Firstly, your hotel arrangements is very elegant. Rooms also very clean and airy. Walls of room are also look very stunning because there are a lot of painting hanging there so that's way I choose this hotel for my presentation. Seating area also comfortable and decorations look natural and beautiful.

Secondly, The members of my meeting also like the hotel but they don't like the food because in your hotel don't have desi food. Hotel has also good service but don't have good food. They are unhappy with your meal. They belong to Punjab and don't like pizza , burger etc.

Finally, I suggest you that if you want customer comes everyday and like your food so add desi food in your menu.

I look forward to hearing from you

Your's Faithfully

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover all three requested points: you describe the hotel’s rooms, décor and seating, explain that the guests wanted Punjabi/desi food rather than items such as pizza and burgers, and recommend adding desi dishes to the menu. These details make the complaint relevant and understandable. However, the reasons for dissatisfaction are only briefly explained, and the suggestion is quite general; you could specify suitable dishes or ask the hotel to consult organisers about dietary preferences. The opening also says “I came your hotel,” which does not clearly explain that you organised a company meeting there. A clearer account of the event and more developed, specific points would make the letter more complete and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable sequence, moving from positive comments to the food complaint and then a recommendation. The signposts “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Finally” help readers follow the main points, and the ideas are grouped into separate paragraphs. However, this progression feels somewhat mechanical, and some links between ideas are unclear. For example, “Hotel has also good service but don't have good food” repeats the contrast without developing it, while “so that's way I choose this hotel” interrupts the description of the hotel’s features. Use clearer connections between the meeting, the guests’ feedback and your request, and organise each paragraph around one purpose. A conventional closing and consistent letter format would also improve the overall flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough relevant vocabulary to communicate the main message, including “arrangements,” “airy,” “decorations,” “presentation,” and “menu.” The references to “desi food” and “pizza, burger” make the guests’ preferences concrete. However, the range is limited and several expressions are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “hotel arrangements,” “Walls of room,” and “customer comes everyday.” Repetition of “good,” “hotel,” and “food” also limits precision. Choose more natural collocations and vary the wording—for example, describe the hotel’s facilities and atmosphere, and refer to guests’ dietary or cuisine preferences. More precise vocabulary would make the complaint sound more professional while preserving your clear meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The message is generally understandable, and you attempt both simple statements and longer sentences with reasons, such as “because there are a lot of painting hanging there.” However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and errors occur frequently in basic grammar. Examples include “I came your hotel,” “my office meeting held,” “arrangements is,” and “Walls of room are also look.” These show problems with prepositions, verb forms, agreement and articles. There are also inconsistent capitalisation and punctuation, including “Secondly, The” and missing commas around the food examples. Practise forming accurate past-tense sentences about the event and checking subject–verb agreement. Short, correctly structured sentences will make your meaning clearer before you attempt more complex forms.

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

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