Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-08
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 5.5)
Dear Sir / Madam,
It was pleasure for us as company to held the gathering in your hotel, all attendee had great experience of hotel and took back taking memories from your hotel, but important part where the negative feedback is found is about 'food', their concerns has come across for taste and freshness of food, almost every single person from the 100 people we have called has appeared with same response about unhappiness of food.
What our since request is for all future events, 30 mins before our team will take a tour to test the food ensuring their freshness and taste is as per what is requested and paid. Pls. confirm by email that our proposal is acceptable for you as we are planning soon for the new event.
Your swift response in the matter would be highly thankful.
Remain with kind regards,
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The letter addresses all three bullet points: the positive aspects of the hotel, the complaints regarding the food, and a suggestion for improvement. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of ideas. The explanation of why participants were unhappy is somewhat repetitive, focusing heavily on the fact that many people complained rather than detailing specific issues with the food quality. To improve, you should expand on the nature of the complaints and provide a more professional, detailed proposal for the manager. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, but the brevity prevents a fully developed response.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is organised into three short paragraphs, which is a logical structure for this task. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the positive feedback and the negative feedback is abrupt. The sentence structure within the first paragraph is quite long and run-on, making it difficult to follow the flow of information. Using more varied linking words such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in light of this' would help improve the logical progression of your ideas and make the text feel more cohesive.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'great experience' and 'unhappiness of food'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choice errors, such as 'since request' (likely meant 'sincere request') and 'highly thankful' (which is not a standard collocation; 'grateful' would be better). To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to hospitality and professional communication, such as 'unsatisfactory', 'standards', or 'rectify'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the clarity of your message. Examples include 'It was pleasure for us as company to held' (should be 'It was a pleasure... to hold'), 'their concerns has come across' (should be 'have come across'), and 'almost every single person... has appeared with same response' (awkward phrasing). The sentence structures are mostly simple or contain errors when attempting complexity. You need to focus on subject-verb agreement, correct verb tenses, and the proper use of articles ('a', 'the') to improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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