Band 9.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 9.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-06

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 9.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to provide feedback regarding an all-day corporate meeting that my company recently hosted at your hotel on August 3rd. While the overall experience was positive, there were a few issues concerning the catering that I wish to bring to your attention.

On a positive note, the participants were very impressed with the venue itself. The conference room was spacious, well-lit, and equipped with excellent modern audiovisual equipment. Furthermore, your front-desk staff were highly professional, attentive, and helpful throughout the day, ensuring our schedule ran smoothly.

However, attendees expressed significant disappointment with the lunch that was served. The selection of dishes was extremely limited, and the quality of the food fell short of expectations. Specifically, the main options were lukewarm by the time they reached the tables, and there were virtually no suitable choices for participants with vegetarian and gluten-free dietary restrictions.

To prevent such issues in the future, I suggest expanding your catering menu to include a broader variety of dietary-friendly options. Additionally, implementing better thermal serving trays or warmer stations would ensure that hot dishes remain at an appropriate temperature for guests.

I hope you take this feedback as constructive, and I look forward to booking your facilities again once these improvements are considered.

Yours faithfully,

Prachi Arora

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, such as the conference room facilities and staff professionalism. You also provided a detailed explanation for the dissatisfaction regarding the lunch, specifically mentioning the temperature and the lack of dietary options. Finally, you offered practical and relevant suggestions for improvement. The tone is consistently appropriate for a formal letter, and the purpose is clear from the outset. The ideas are well-developed and fully satisfy the requirements of the prompt.

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, and the transition between the positive feedback and the complaints is smooth. You have used a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'On a positive note', 'Furthermore', 'However', and 'Additionally', which help guide the reader through your argument. The paragraphing is logical and contributes to the overall clarity of the message. The structure is professional and follows standard formal letter conventions perfectly.

Lexical Resource — Band 9.0

You have demonstrated a wide and sophisticated range of vocabulary throughout the letter. Phrases such as 'catering', 'dietary restrictions', 'constructive', and 'fell short of expectations' are used accurately and in the correct context. The language is natural and precise, showing a high level of control. There are no errors in word choice or collocation, and the vocabulary is well-suited to the formal tone required for this task. The use of specific terminology related to corporate events enhances the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 9.0

The writing displays a wide range of grammatical structures with full flexibility and accuracy. You have successfully used a mix of complex and compound sentences, such as 'While the overall experience was positive, there were a few issues concerning the catering that I wish to bring to your attention.' Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no grammatical errors. The control over verb tenses and sentence construction is excellent, making the text very easy to read and professional in its presentation.

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