Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-09

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 4.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter because we had organised an all - day meeting for your company we were booking the local hotel.

The participants were liking the decorate, well organised the table, chair and stages. However, they had talked about that hotel staff are very polite behaviour and patient. So everyone`s like that.

Unfortunatinly , they were unhappy from food quality. Whereas, because they were wants specip food and sweetness food .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it is only 77 words long. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. While you have attempted to cover the three bullet points—mentioning the hotel's decor and staff, the dissatisfaction with the food, and a suggestion for improvement—the ideas are severely underdeveloped and lack the necessary detail to fully satisfy the prompt. To improve, you must expand on each point with specific examples and ensure the letter follows a standard formal structure, including a clear opening and closing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The letter lacks a logical flow and clear paragraphing. The sentences are disjointed, and the use of cohesive devices is minimal or misused, such as the awkward use of 'Whereas' at the start of a sentence. The progression of ideas is difficult to follow because the sentences do not connect effectively. To improve, you should use transition words like 'furthermore,' 'consequently,' or 'in addition' to link your ideas and ensure each paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed point.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary is very limited and often inaccurate, which hinders communication. Examples include 'liking the decorate' (should be 'decor') and 'specip food and sweetness food' (which is unclear). There is a lack of variety, and the word choices are basic or incorrect. You need to focus on learning common collocations and ensuring you use the correct word forms (e.g., nouns vs. adjectives). Expanding your vocabulary related to business meetings and hospitality will help you express your points more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that impede understanding. Issues include incorrect verb tenses ('we had organised,' 'they were wants'), subject-verb agreement errors ('hotel staff are... behaviour'), and poor sentence structure. The response lacks complex sentence structures, relying on simple, often fragmented, sentences. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and correct tense usage. Proofreading for common errors like missing articles or incorrect word forms is essential for higher band scores.

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

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