Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-24

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 regarding the all day meeting that I recently organised at your hotel. Although the participants were generally pleased with the venue and its facilities, there was considerable dissatisfaction with the lunch that was provided.

To begin with, the participants were particularly impressed by the hotel itself. They appreciated the comfortable meeting room, professional staff and convenient location. The facilities were well maintained and the room was spacious enough to accommodate everyone comfortably. Several attendees also commented positively on the efficient service and pleasant atmosphere, which contributed to the smooth running of the meeting.

Unfortunately, the food served at lunchtime did not meet the same standard. The main concern was the limited variety of dishes, as there were very few options for people with different dietary preferences. In addition, some of the food was served lukewarm while the quality and presentation were considered disappointing. As lunch was an important part of the event, this had a negative impact on the participants overall experience.

I would therefore suggest that, for future events, the hotel offer a wider range of fresh dishes, including vegetarian and other dietary options. It would also be advisable to ensure that hot food is served at an appropriate temperature and that the catering staff maintain consistent standards of quality and presentation. Providing a short menu in advance could also allow organisers to communicate participant's dietary requirements more effectively.

I hope you will take this feedback into consideration and make the necessary improvements to your catering service. I would be pleased to consider your hotel for future meetings if these issues can be addressed.

Yours faithfully,

Minaksi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response fully and effectively covers all three bullet points outlined in the prompt. You successfully state what the participants liked about the hotel, such as the comfortable meeting rooms, professional staff, and convenient location. Furthermore, you clearly explain why they were unhappy with the lunch, specifically mentioning the limited variety, lack of dietary options, and the lukewarm temperature of the food. Finally, you provide practical and relevant suggestions for how the manager can improve the catering in future events, such as offering a wider range of fresh dishes and providing menus in advance. Your tone is polite, professional, and entirely appropriate for a formal complaint or feedback letter, fully satisfying the requirements of a General Training Task 1 response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

Your letter is extremely well organised and follows a logical progression from introduction to feedback, specific details, suggestions, and a polite conclusion. Each paragraph has a clear central theme. Paragraph two details the positive aspects of the hotel, paragraph three outlines the catering issues, and paragraph four delivers the constructive recommendations. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Unfortunately', 'I would therefore suggest', and 'In addition' are used skilfully and naturally to guide the reader through your arguments without ever feeling mechanical. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 8.0

You demonstrate a wide, natural, and flexible range of vocabulary suited to a formal workplace correspondence. Phrases such as 'considerable dissatisfaction', 'dietary preferences', 'efficient service', and 'catering service' show a high level of lexical control. Less common lexical items are used with good awareness of style and collocation, such as 'smooth running of the meeting' and 'negative impact on the participants' overall experience'. There are virtually no spelling or word-choice errors, allowing your message to be communicated with absolute precision and professional polish.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

The response exhibits an impressive command of grammatical structures, successfully blending complex sentences with accurate simple forms. You use subordinate clauses and conditional concepts effectively, as seen in 'Although the participants were generally pleased...' and 'I would be pleased to consider your hotel for future meetings if these issues can be addressed.' The vast majority of your sentences are completely error-free, with flawless punctuation, subject-verb agreement, and tense consistency. Your control over complex syntax demonstrates a strong mastery of English grammar.

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