Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-18
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 5.5)
DEAR LUIS,
I'M SO GLAD THAT OUR COMPANY IS GOING TO CELEBRATE THE EVENT FOR THE POPULAR FOOD FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD A SPECIAL OF MY COUNTRY JAMUN WHICH IS CALLED THE BROWN ROUND BALL WITH THE MELTING SUGAR. THIS DISH IS IN ROUND SHAPE AND IT IS KIND A LIJE A SOFT SPONGE BALL TO EAT.IT CAN BE SERVE WITH A FLAVORED YOUGRAT OR WITH A MELTING SUGAR.
MOREOVER, IT IS GOING TO BE A GREAT OPTION IN A FOOD TO TRY A DIFFERENT FOOD OF THE OTHER COUNTRY AND THAT GONA BE A GOOD OPTION FOR THE PEOPLE TO TRY IT, DUE TO THIS REASON I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THIS POPULAR DISH FROM COUNTRY. I WILL BE LOOK FORWARD FOR THE REVIEW FROM THE PEOPLE WHO GOING TO TRY THIS FAMOUS DISH FROM MY COUNTRY.
YOUR SINCERELY
MANJIT KAUR
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The letter addresses all three bullet points: offering a dish, describing it, and explaining its inclusion. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum, which impacts the development of ideas. The description of the dish is somewhat repetitive and lacks detail, and the explanation for its inclusion is quite brief. To improve, you should expand on the cultural significance of the dish and provide more descriptive language to fully engage the reader. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to an event organiser, but the brevity prevents a higher score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical progression is hindered by repetitive phrasing, such as 'good option' and 'popular dish'. Cohesive devices are limited and sometimes used mechanically, such as 'moreover' and 'due to this reason'. The flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed, making the text feel slightly fragmented. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each sentence builds clearly upon the previous one to create a smoother narrative flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'brown round ball' and 'melting sugar' are descriptive but lack the sophistication expected at higher bands. There are also errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'yougrat' (yogurt) and 'lije' (like). The use of informal contractions like 'gona' is inappropriate for a formal or semi-formal letter. To improve, focus on using more precise adjectives and nouns related to food and cultural events, and ensure you use standard spelling and formal register throughout.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. While there are some attempts at complex sentences, they often contain errors, such as 'I will be look forward for the review from the people who going to try'. There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'a different food of the other country'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing spaces after periods. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common grammatical slips like verb tenses and pluralisation.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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