Band 9.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 9.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-07-25

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 9.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing regarding the all-day business meeting that my company recently held at your hotel. Overall, the participants were very pleased with the venue; however, they expressed some dissatisfaction with the lunch that was served.

The meeting facilities were excellent. The conference room was spacious, well-equipped, and comfortable, while the staff were polite, professional, and always willing to assist. In addition, the hotel’s convenient location and ample parking made it easy for everyone to attend the event.

Despite these positive aspects, many participants were disappointed with the food. The lunch menu offered very limited choices, particularly for vegetarians, and some dishes were served cold. Furthermore, the quality and taste of the food did not meet the high standards that we expected from your hotel. As a result, several attendees felt that the meal affected their overall experience.

To improve your catering service in the future, I suggest offering a wider variety of dishes, including vegetarian and special dietary options. It would also be helpful to ensure that all meals are served fresh and at the correct temperature. Finally, collecting guests’ dietary preferences before events would allow you to provide a more satisfactory dining experience.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this feedback. I hope these suggestions will help improve your catering services for future events.

Yours faithfully,

Jeffy Rock

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 9.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly identified the positive aspects of the hotel (facilities, staff, location), explained the specific issues with the lunch (limited choices, cold food, poor quality), and provided constructive suggestions for improvement (wider variety, temperature control, pre-event dietary collection). The tone is professional and appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. The purpose of the letter is clear from the outset, and the ideas are well-developed and relevant to the prompt. You have successfully met all requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 9.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, moving smoothly from the positive feedback to the complaints and finally to the suggestions. You have used a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'however', 'in addition', 'despite these positive aspects', and 'furthermore', which help to link your sentences and paragraphs naturally. The paragraphing is logical and contributes to the overall clarity of the message. The structure is professional and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 9.0

You demonstrate a wide and natural range of vocabulary appropriate for a formal business context. Phrases such as 'expressed some dissatisfaction', 'ample parking', 'high standards', and 'satisfactory dining experience' are used accurately and effectively. The vocabulary is precise and conveys your meaning clearly without any awkwardness. There are no spelling errors, and the word choices are sophisticated enough to meet the requirements for a high band score. The language used is consistently professional throughout the entire letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 9.0

The writing displays a high level of grammatical control. You have used a variety of complex sentence structures, such as the use of subordinate clauses ('while the staff were...', 'if the meal affected...') and compound-complex sentences, with very high accuracy. Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no noticeable grammatical errors. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the flow of the text is smooth and natural. Your control over tense and agreement is excellent, reflecting a strong command of English grammar.

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