Band 9.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 9.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-07

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You are a member of an International Students' club. The club is organising an event to celebrate popular food from around the world.

Write a letter to the event organiser, Luis. In your letter

• offer to make a popular dish from your country
• describe what this dish is
• explain why it should be included in the event

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Luis,

Student answer (Band 9.0)

Dear Luis,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing in response to the announcement about the International Students' Club event celebrating popular food from different parts of the world. I would be delighted to contribute by preparing a traditional dish from my home state of Gujarat, India, called Dal Dhokli.

Dal Dhokli is a popular Gujarati comfort food made with wheat flour dumplings cooked in a sweet, spicy, and tangy lentil-based curry. The dish consists of small pieces of rolled dough, known as dhokli, which are simmered in a flavourful mixture of pigeon peas, spices, peanuts, and vegetables. It is usually served hot and garnished with fresh coriander, making it a wholesome and satisfying meal.

I believe this dish would be an excellent addition to the event because it represents the rich cultural heritage and unique flavours of Gujarati cuisine. Unlike many other Indian dishes, Dal Dhokli combines different tastes, including sweetness, sourness, and spice, which makes it appealing to people from diverse backgrounds. Furthermore, it is a vegetarian dish that can be enjoyed by a wide range of participants.

I would be happy to prepare Dal Dhokli for the event and share the story behind this traditional dish with other international students. I hope you will consider including it in the celebration.

I look forward to your positive response.

Kind regards,

Jesal Jadeja

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 9.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly offer to make a dish, provide a detailed description of Dal Dhokli, and offer a logical explanation for why it should be included in the event. The tone is appropriate for a letter to an event organiser, maintaining a professional yet friendly register throughout. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, showing a clear understanding of the task requirements. There are no omissions, and the purpose of the letter is established immediately and maintained until the conclusion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 9.0

The letter is logically organised with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a specific purpose, moving from the introduction to the description, the justification, and finally the closing. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Unlike', and 'in response to' are used naturally and effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. The paragraphing is skilful and contributes to the overall readability of the text. There is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive use of linking words, and the flow of information is smooth and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 9.0

You demonstrate a wide and flexible range of vocabulary that is highly appropriate for the context. Phrases such as 'wholesome and satisfying meal', 'rich cultural heritage', and 'diverse backgrounds' show a sophisticated command of language. The terminology used to describe the dish, such as 'simmered', 'garnished', and 'lentil-based curry', is precise and adds depth to your description. There are no noticeable errors in word choice or collocation, and the vocabulary is used with a high degree of naturalness and precision throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 9.0

The response exhibits a wide range of grammatical structures with full flexibility and accuracy. You successfully employ complex sentence structures, such as the participial phrase 'making it a wholesome and satisfying meal' and the relative clause 'which makes it appealing to people from diverse backgrounds'. Punctuation is used correctly to enhance clarity, and there are no grammatical errors. The control over verb tenses and sentence construction is excellent, reflecting a high level of proficiency that is consistent throughout the entire letter.

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