Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-14

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----,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to share my colleague’s feedback with you regarding their experience at your hotel, earlier this week.

The ambiance of the hotel really helped us to focus on the meeting's agenda, and we managed to discuss all our key points and wrap up the meeting in a timely manner.

However, after the meeting, when we ordered the food, unfortunately it did not meet our expectations. The meat in the steak was uncooked, and other items were also cold. It seemed that the food was prepared a long time ago.

To make sure that no one in the future has this type of experience, I believe you should increase the number of helpers in your kitchen so that they can facilitate your chef in the food preparation and eventually the customers will be able to enjoy fresh and properly cooked meal.

I hope my suggestion will be considered and hopefully, we will have a great experience at your hotel next time.

Have a great evening.

Best regards,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all bullet points outlined in the prompt. You begin by mentioning what the participants liked about the hotel, specifically noting that the ambiance helped your colleagues focus on the meeting and finish in a timely manner. Next, you clearly explain why they were unhappy with the food, detailing that the meat in the steak was uncooked and that other items were cold. Finally, you provide a practical suggestion for the future by recommending that the hotel increase kitchen staff to ensure meals are fresh and properly cooked. The tone is appropriate for a formal business letter, and all requirements are fully addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a clear logical organization and progression throughout. It opens with an appropriate salutation and statement of purpose, moves smoothly into the positive feedback, transitions to the complaints using 'However', and concludes with constructive suggestions and a polite sign-off. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to separate different ideas, such as the ambiance versus the food critique. Cohesive devices like 'after the meeting' and 'to make sure that' are used effectively to guide the reader through your narrative.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your lexical range is adequate and meets the needs of the task well. You successfully use less common vocabulary items and phrases, such as 'ambiance', 'agenda', 'timely manner', and 'meet our expectations'. Word choice is generally appropriate and precise enough to communicate your dissatisfaction clearly without any misunderstandings. There are minor limitations in lexical variety regarding culinary terms, but overall, the vocabulary demonstrates good control and fits the semi-formal business context of a complaint letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures throughout the letter. For instance, you successfully employ conditional or multi-clause sentences such as 'To make sure that no one in the future has this type of experience, I believe you should increase the number of helpers...' The majority of sentences are error-free and grammatical control is solid. While there is a slight awkwardness in the phrasing 'facilitate your chef in the food preparation', the grammar does not impede communication at all.

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