Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-08

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 5.0)

Dear Sir,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and spirits.

I would like to seek your attention towards the most recent meeting held this week that took place in a local hotel. The reviews from the visitors were a bit unsettling.

Looking up for the plus factor that was being mentioned by most of the participants attending the meeting was that the place itself was wide and tidy, as was the artifiacts that were placed in the hallways.

To the diminish side, that I personally overlooked was the lack of food variety. The most part of the menu consists of English brunch, which made it a reason of cfor concern attendees.

I hope in future we do all make sure that every thing gies flawless.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses all three bullet points of the prompt, but the development of ideas is insufficient. The explanation of why participants were unhappy is vague, and the suggestion for improvement is missing entirely, as the final sentence is a generic hope rather than a specific recommendation. Furthermore, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which severely limits the ability to fully develop the task. To improve, you must expand on your points with specific details and ensure you provide a clear, actionable suggestion for the manager as requested in the instructions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into short paragraphs, which is appropriate for the format. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is limited and occasionally awkward, such as 'To the diminish side', which is not a standard English phrase. The connection between sentences could be improved by using a wider range of linking words to ensure a smoother flow of information. The paragraphing is present, but the brevity of the content makes the overall structure feel underdeveloped.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and contains several inaccuracies. Phrases like 'looking up for the plus factor' and 'to the diminish side' are unnatural and impede the clarity of your message. There are also spelling errors, such as 'artifiacts' (artifacts) and 'cfor' (for). While the meaning is generally understandable, the range of vocabulary is limited, and the word choices often do not fit the formal tone required for a letter to a hotel manager. You should focus on learning more precise collocations and formal business terminology.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'as was the artifiacts' (subject-verb agreement error), 'made it a reason of cfor concern attendees' (syntax error), and 'every thing gies flawless' (spelling and grammatical error). These errors are noticeable and occasionally make the text difficult to follow. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and proofreading for common typos that distract the reader from your intended message.

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

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