Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-07-28

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 6.5)

Dear Sir,

I am writing regarding a hotel .I missed the food quality at your hotel .I believe that the menu of food should be addressed.

At the outset, the guests liked the location of hotel and the ambience of that place. The living rooms was very airy and air conditioned. The bedroom was very spacious. Moreover, The management was very co-operative and friendly. They enjoyed the stay at your hotel.

However the quality of food served in lunch and breakfast was not a good. The aroma of food was pleasing to nostrils but the quality of food was bare minimum. They didn’t like the cold and spice food and taste was very odd . I was very disappointed at that stage . I called the manager but he didn’t admit the mistake of his master chef.

U should manage the cuisine in a professional manner . In addition, Manager should introduce the feedback form for guests . So everyone can give their own opinion regarding the improvement of your cuisine . Manager should admit the mistake in front of guests.

Yours Faithfully,

XYZ

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: the positive aspects of the hotel, the issues with the food, and suggestions for improvement. However, the tone is somewhat inconsistent and occasionally aggressive (e.g., 'he didn’t admit the mistake of his master chef'). While the ideas are relevant, they are not fully developed in a professional manner suitable for a formal letter. The opening is also slightly confusing, as it mentions 'missing' the food quality rather than writing to complain about it. To reach a higher band, ensure the tone remains professional and objective throughout, focusing on constructive feedback rather than personal confrontation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is organised into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure of the complaint. There is a logical progression from the positive aspects to the negative ones, followed by suggestions. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. Transitions between sentences are occasionally abrupt, and some referencing is unclear (e.g., 'the living rooms was'). While the overall arrangement is coherent, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. There are several instances of awkward phrasing or incorrect word choice, such as 'I missed the food quality' (likely meaning 'I am writing to complain about') and 'bare minimum' used to describe food quality. Additionally, 'aroma of food was pleasing to nostrils' is unnatural. While the meaning is generally clear, the range is limited, and the student relies on basic descriptors. Expanding the range of collocations and using more formal, business-appropriate vocabulary would significantly improve the score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('The living rooms was', 'Manager should introduce'), missing articles ('the location of hotel'), and incorrect punctuation. The use of 'U' instead of 'You' is inappropriate for a formal letter. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. To improve, the student should focus on basic grammar rules, such as article usage, subject-verb agreement, and maintaining a formal register by avoiding abbreviations.

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