Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-27

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,

I am writting to bring bto your notice concernibg the report given by theb parrticipants rec ently organised by our company which took place in ypor hotel.

My company recently had an all-day meeting in your hotel of which during the all-day meeting, your hotel was expected to serve foods and in between meal to the participants.

The participants was so much pleased with te hotel, its features, decorations and enviroments but badly complain on the bad condition of food served during the lunch. According to them, the food was not inclusive on the days menu for lunch and was equally not to the standard of te so called food in question.

I suggest the manager should look into the proper delivery of their menu for each occasion and equally make sure the the appropriate meal for each occasion was dully served and in good standard.

Thanks for looking into the matter iin making sure suuch occurance did not take place in future.

Yours faithfully

Ify

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The letter addresses the main points: it says participants liked the hotel’s “features, decorations and environments,” reports dissatisfaction with lunch, and recommends that the manager check the menu and ensure meals meet an appropriate standard. However, the reasons for the complaint are unclear: “not inclusive on the days menu” and “not to the standard” do not explain specifically what was wrong with the food. The proposed improvement is also general and does not identify practical steps, such as reviewing the menu with the organiser or checking food quality before service. The purpose is apparent, but the key ideas are limited and under-developed, so the reader may not fully understand the complaint or the requested action.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows a recognisable letter format, moving from the purpose of writing to positive feedback, the lunch complaint, and a suggestion. This gives it some overall organisation. However, the progression is weakened by repetition: the second paragraph repeats that the company held an all-day meeting at the hotel, information already given in the opening. Connections between ideas are sometimes unclear, particularly in “of which during the all-day meeting,” and the complaint and recommendation would be easier to follow if each were developed in a separate, focused paragraph. The closing is present, but the letter would benefit from clearer linking and more precise references to the food and menu.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The writer uses some relevant vocabulary for a formal complaint, including “participants,” “standard,” “occasion,” and “manager,” and the reader can identify the general subject. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations make the message difficult to interpret. For example, “bad condition of food,” “not inclusive on the days menu,” and “proper delivery of their menu” are not natural ways to describe the problem or solution. Spelling errors such as “writting,” “enviroments,” and “occurance” are also noticeable. Aim for precise, conventional phrases that explain what was wrong, such as food being cold, poorly prepared, or different from the agreed menu.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The letter attempts both simple and longer sentence forms, but control is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make the meaning difficult to follow. Examples include “The participants was,” where the subject and verb do not agree, and “your hotel was expected to serve foods and in between meal,” where the sentence structure and plural forms are faulty. The opening sentence also contains a confusing sequence of clauses, while “make sure the the appropriate meal … was dully served” has errors in article use and verb form. Most sentences would be clearer if divided into shorter units and checked for subject–verb agreement, articles, and tense. More accurate control of these basic patterns is needed alongside attempts at complex sentences.

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