Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well.

I am writing to express my concerns regarding the company meeting that I organized at your hotel and the disappointments caused by your service. I know that your hotel is the most famous hotel in this city and that is why I booked the meeting there.

Firstly, all of us liked your hotel, especially the participants. They gave good feedback about hotel and enjoyed the atmosphere. You arranged the meeting room exactly as per our need. Seating arrangement, sound and lighting, and decorations are played well.

Unfortunately, the participants are unhappy with the food that was served for lunch. They gave negative review about the food and it created a bad image for us. The meals are not cooked well and some dishes had bad smell. We expected a better service and never expected this problem from your side.

I really felt bad about the incident and communicate the dissatisfaction with you. As a reputed hotel, you need to take care of all these things. Foods need to check properly and cook well. Customer service is very important and make sure everything going well now onwards. We are trusting your hotel and never break the trust. I would appreciate it if you could take proper steps to avoid future issues.

Thank you for the time and consideration. I am looking to hearing from you.

With regard,

Any Thomas

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state what was liked about the hotel (atmosphere, room setup), explain the issues with the food (poor cooking, unpleasant smell), and provide suggestions for improvement. The tone is appropriate for a formal complaint letter. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For example, the suggestion to 'check properly' is a bit vague. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific recommendations, such as suggesting a tasting session before the event or requesting a change in the catering staff. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the task requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices like 'Firstly' and 'Unfortunately' to signal transitions. However, the flow between some sentences is slightly mechanical, and the use of referencing could be more varied. For instance, the transition between the positive feedback and the negative complaint is abrupt. Improving the use of linking phrases to connect your ideas more fluidly would enhance the overall coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'disappointments', 'atmosphere', and 'reputed'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation that prevent a higher score. For example, 'decorations are played well' is unnatural; 'were well-executed' or 'were well-arranged' would be better. Similarly, 'communicate the dissatisfaction' is slightly awkward in this context. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your message clearly, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Focusing on collocations and more sophisticated phrasing will help improve your lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and subject-verb agreement. For example, 'The meals are not cooked well' should be 'were not cooked well' to match the past tense of the event. Additionally, 'Foods need to check properly' is grammatically incorrect; it should be 'Food needs to be checked properly'. These errors are noticeable but do not impede communication. To improve, focus on consistent tense usage and passive voice constructions, which are essential for formal complaints.

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

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