Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-22

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 7.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to provide feedback on the hotel facilities and catering arrangements during an all-day meeting that I recently organised for my company.

Firstly, the participants were very pleased with the hotel. They particularly appreciated the spacious and comfortable meeting room, the professional staff and the cleanliness of the premises. In addition, the hotel was conveniently located, making it easy for everyone to reach the venue.

However, the majority of participants were dissatisfied with the lunch provided. The food was served late and was not sufficiently warm. Moreover, there were very few vegetarian options, while some dishes lacked freshness and flavour. As lunch was an important part of the meeting, this affected the overall experience.

I would therefore suggest that you review the catering arrangements and ensure that meals are prepared and served on time. It would also be helpful to offer a wider variety of fresh dishes and consider participants’ dietary preferences in advance.

I hope you will take these suggestions into consideration.

Yours faithfully,

Sukhvir Grewal

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The candidate has successfully addressed all three bullet points of the task. They clearly stated what participants liked about the hotel, such as 'the spacious and comfortable meeting room, the professional staff and the cleanliness of the premises.' They also explained the reasons for dissatisfaction regarding the food, noting that it was served late, insufficiently warm, and lacked vegetarian options, freshness, and flavour. Furthermore, the writer provided practical suggestions for future improvements, including reviewing catering arrangements and offering a wider variety of fresh dishes. The tone is entirely appropriate for a formal complaint/feedback letter, and the purpose is sustained throughout. Therefore, this response fully satisfies all criteria for a high band score under Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter exhibits clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving smoothly from the introductory purpose statement to the positive aspects, the negative feedback, the suggestions, and a polite closing. Cohesive devices are used effectively and naturally, such as 'Firstly,' 'In addition,' 'However,' and 'Moreover,' which help guide the reader through the text without any mechanical feel. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, keeping ideas well-segregated and easy to follow. Referencing is clear throughout, ensuring a seamless flow of ideas from start to finish.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

The writer demonstrates a sufficient and appropriate range of vocabulary for a formal letter, incorporating useful collocations and precise terminology. Phrases such as 'catering arrangements,' 'conveniently located,' 'dissatisfied with the lunch provided,' and 'dietary preferences' highlight a strong control of lexical resource. Word choice is generally accurate and natural, matching the formal register required for addressing a hotel manager. Although there are no extreme examples of exceptionally rare idiomatic language, the vocabulary used is flexible, precise, and completely adequate for achieving the communicative goal with ease.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The response displays a very high level of grammatical accuracy alongside a good variety of sentence structures. The writer successfully employs both simple and complex sentences, such as relative clauses ('making it easy for everyone to reach the venue') and conditional or participial structures without making noticeable errors. Punctuation is handled correctly throughout, and verb tenses are managed properly to recount past events and make future recommendations. The vast majority of sentences are completely error-free, reflecting strong grammatical control that easily meets the higher band descriptors.

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