Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-07-27

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 or Madam,

I am writing to express my profound dissatisfaction with the kind of food, we received at your hotel. A week ago, my company organized a group meeting at your place. The service we received was quite satisfactory in terms of all manner, but some of us were discontented with food quality and service.

Eventual assistance with handling customers was on time. I must appreciate your highly qualified and well-trained service representative. Their polite nature and smiling faces were the charm of the night.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response fails to address the task requirements adequately. While it mentions the hotel and the food, it does not explain why the participants were unhappy with the lunch, nor does it provide any suggestions for improvement. Furthermore, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which severely limits the development of the required points. Because the letter is incomplete and fails to cover two of the three bullet points, it cannot be awarded a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is very short, consisting of only two brief paragraphs. There is a lack of logical progression between the opening complaint and the subsequent praise for the staff. Cohesive devices are minimal, and the transition between ideas is abrupt. The structure does not facilitate a clear flow of information, which is expected in a formal letter of complaint.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is somewhat limited and occasionally unnatural. Phrases like 'in terms of all manner' and 'were the charm of the night' are awkward and do not fit the formal tone required for a complaint letter. While the student attempts to use some sophisticated words like 'profound dissatisfaction' and 'discontented', the overall range is insufficient to convey the necessary details of the situation effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains several grammatical errors, such as the unnecessary comma in 'food, we received' and the awkward phrasing 'Eventual assistance with handling customers'. While the sentences are generally understandable, the range of structures is limited, and the control over complex sentences is weak. The errors in punctuation and word order detract from the professional tone required for this task.

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