Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-28

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 organized an all day meeting of my company in your hotel. All the members who attended the meeting liked your ambiance of the hotel, sitting arrangement, Proper ventilation system and clean environment. All the things were going good however an upset start at lunch time.

The lunch of your hotel is not good. Some of the vegetables and chicken was uncooked. Most of the people of our company and the guest which are present there didn't like the lunch. The problem is not only the uncooked food but also there is less salt in the dish. The sweet was also not good.

I think you had to focus on your chef. Appoint a good chef there and also first check the dish before serving it to your clients. You only need to look after of the kitchen while all the other things are good.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You cover all three required points: you mention the hotel’s “sitting arrangement” and clean environment, explain that some food was uncooked and lacked salt, and recommend appointing a chef and checking dishes before serving. These details make the complaint relevant, but some points are only briefly developed; for example, you do not explain what specifically participants appreciated about the hotel’s atmosphere or facilities. The suggestions are also quite general and could be more practical, such as checking food preparation and seasoning or collecting dietary preferences. The response is 147 words, so it falls three words short of the required minimum. Adding a little detail to the explanation or recommendations would help you meet the requirement and develop the letter more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter follows a sensible overall order: it introduces the meeting and positive feedback, describes the lunch problems, and then offers recommendations. This makes the main message easy to follow. Paragraphing also separates the main stages of the letter. However, some links between ideas are awkward or unclear, as in “All the things were going good however an upset start at lunch time,” and the repeated use of “also” makes the final paragraph feel list-like. The opening and closing are not fully shaped as a formal letter, either. To improve progression, use clear transitions such as “However” to introduce the complaint and “To prevent this in future” before the recommendations, while keeping each paragraph focused on one purpose.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main points, including “uncooked,” “clean environment,” “ventilation system,” and “serving.” These choices help identify both the hotel’s strengths and the food concerns. However, several expressions are imprecise or unnatural, such as “liked your ambiance of the hotel,” “an upset start,” and “look after of the kitchen.” The range is also somewhat repetitive, with “good” and “not good” used for different aspects of the meal. More precise language would make the complaint sound clearer and more professional. For example, describe the food as “poorly prepared” or “bland,” and refer to the hotel’s “atmosphere” and “dining arrangements” rather than relying on broad or awkward phrases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Your meaning is generally understandable, and you attempt to connect ideas with clauses such as “however” and “while.” However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences awkward. For example, “Some of the vegetables and chicken was uncooked” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “the guest which are present there” has errors in both the relative clause and agreement. The sentence “You only need to look after of the kitchen” also has an incorrect grammatical pattern. Work on agreement, relative clauses, and sentence boundaries, and practise combining simple sentences accurately. A more controlled version would be: “Several vegetables and pieces of chicken were undercooked, and many attendees also found the dishes insufficiently seasoned.”

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