Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-31

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 Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express collective feedback about the meeting event that was held last week in your hotel. All the participants were happy with the ambience, breathtaking decorations and spacious seating. Even though the organisation's meeting went all day, there were no distractions and loud music.

Whereas, the portion of the food served was quite less than expected. The meeting members were also unhappy about the quality and taste of dishes that were served.

I would like to give some suggestions for the improvements that you can make in this particular area. Firstly, there is a need to review your food portions and consider the cost factor while deciding it. Secondly, the chefs should be specialised in the cuisine they are preparing food. Lastly, the servers need to put food separately on the table considering whether its vegetarian or non-vegetarian.

I hope you will consider given points and our next event would be successful in your hotel.

Best regards,

Lakhwinder Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three points and maintains a clear, appropriate purpose. You identify what participants appreciated—“the ambience,” decorations and spacious seating—and explain their dissatisfaction with the food’s portion size, quality and taste. Your recommendations about portions, chef expertise and separating vegetarian and non-vegetarian food are relevant. To make the ideas more fully developed, explain the food concerns more specifically—for example, whether portions were insufficient for a full-day event or which aspects of the dishes disappointed guests. The suggestion to “consider the cost factor” is also somewhat unclear; clarify how cost should be balanced with adequate portions and quality. A more direct closing request to review the catering arrangements would strengthen the letter’s practical impact.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The information is arranged in a sensible sequence: you introduce the event, describe the positive feedback, explain the complaint, and then offer recommendations. Paragraphing helps distinguish these functions, and signposts such as “Firstly,” “Secondly” and “Lastly” make the suggestions easy to follow. The overall progression is clear, though some linking is mechanical or awkward. “Whereas” at the start of a paragraph does not connect the contrast smoothly to the previous point, and “I hope you will consider given points” leaves the reference unclear. Use a more natural transition such as “However,” and refer explicitly to “these suggestions.” A clearer connection between the food complaints and each proposed solution would also make the letter flow more naturally.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for a formal complaint letter, including relevant terms such as “participants,” “spacious seating,” “quality and taste,” and “cuisine.” Some less common choices show ambition, but several are inaccurate or unnatural in context: “collective feedback” is less idiomatic than “feedback from the participants,” while “the portion of the food served was quite less” is an awkward expression. “Breathtaking decorations” may also sound overly dramatic for business correspondence. These choices do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, but more precise collocations and a consistently professional tone would improve control. Prefer straightforward, natural wording when describing the food and the hotel’s facilities.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the concession in “Even though the organisation’s meeting went all day” and the relative clause “dishes that were served.” The message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors and awkward constructions are present. “Whereas” is used as a sentence opener without a complete contrasting clause; “considering whether its vegetarian or non-vegetarian” needs a clearer grammatical structure, such as “depending on whether it is vegetarian or non-vegetarian”; and “I hope you will consider given points” is missing a determiner. There is also a tense inconsistency in “our next event would be successful,” where “will be” better expresses the hoped-for future. Review clause structure, articles and verb forms to make your sentences more consistently accurate.

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