Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-21

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 8.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to provide feedback about the hotel where I recently organised an all-day meeting for my company. Overall, the participants were pleased with the hotel and particularly appreciated its comfortable meeting room, friendly staff, and clean and professional environment. They also found the location convenient and the facilities well-maintained.

However, the main disappointment was the lunch that was provided. Several participants felt that the food was not fresh and that there were not enough choices available. In addition, some dishes were served cold, and the portions were quite small. As lunch was an important part of the full-day meeting, this affected the overall experience.

I would therefore suggest that the hotel improve the quality and variety of its lunch menu. It would be helpful to offer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options and ensure that all food is served fresh and at the appropriate temperature. The hotel could also ask guests about their dietary preferences in advance.

I hope you will consider this feedback and make improvements for future events.

Yours faithfully,

Pratima

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly identified the positive aspects of the hotel, such as the 'comfortable meeting room' and 'friendly staff'. You also provided specific reasons for the dissatisfaction regarding the lunch, noting issues with freshness, variety, and temperature. Finally, you offered constructive suggestions for improvement, including dietary options and temperature control. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint, and the purpose is clear from the beginning. All parts of the prompt are well-developed and relevant to the context of a business meeting.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which makes the information easy to follow. You have used cohesive devices effectively, such as 'However', 'In addition', and 'I would therefore suggest', to link your points smoothly. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the transition between the positive feedback and the complaint is handled naturally. The overall structure is coherent, and the relationship between ideas is consistently clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is well-suited to a formal business context. Phrases like 'well-maintained', 'dietary preferences', and 'appropriate temperature' show a level of precision and sophistication. The language is natural and accurate, with no noticeable errors in word choice or collocation. While the vocabulary is functional and effective, it could be slightly more varied to reach the highest band; however, it is more than sufficient to convey your message clearly and professionally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

Your writing displays a high level of grammatical control. You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures correctly, such as the conditional 'It would be helpful to...' and the relative clause '...where I recently organised...'. Punctuation is accurate, and there are no significant errors that impede communication. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the tone remains consistently formal and polite. The control over verb tenses and sentence construction is strong throughout the letter.

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

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