Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-30

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 6.5)

Dear Luis,

I am writing to suggest that I prepare a traditional Gujarati dish called Dhokla for the upcoming international food event.

Dhokla is a popular Gujarati dish that is made from gram flour and spices. It is usually prepared by steaming method. It has a savoury taste and spongy texture and is commonly served with green chutney. It is particularly popular because it is popular among all ages people and it is very easy to make, in many occasions, dish is served as snake.

I believe this dish should be included in the event for several reasons. First, it would give international students an opportunity to experience Indian culture through its food. In addition, they learn how to make and recipe. Moreover, it is vegetarian dish and also suitable for many students, it gives students a chance to experience a different cuisine

I would be happy to prepare the dish for the event and provide any further information you may require.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,
Mayuri Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The candidate has successfully covered all three bullet points required in the prompt. First, you offered to make a traditional Gujarati dish called Dhokla, fulfilling the initial requirement. Second, you described the dish accurately as being made from gram flour, prepared through steaming, and having a savoury taste and spongy texture. Finally, you explained why it should be included, mentioning cultural sharing and vegetarian suitability. All parts of the task are adequately addressed, and the tone is appropriately polite and semi-formal for a letter to an event organiser. Ideas are relevant, though some points like the recipe learning could have been slightly better extended. Overall, the task purpose is fully achieved, aligning well with the Band 7 requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter is logically organised with a clear beginning, middle paragraphs addressing the prompt bullets, and a polite sign-off. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, description of the dish, reasons for inclusion, and conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'First', 'In addition', and 'Moreover' are utilised to connect ideas, although the referencing and repetition in phrases like 'it is popular among all ages people and it is very easy to make' show some slight mechanical use. Overall progression is clear throughout the text, warranting a solid Band 6.5 to 7.0 score. I have awarded a Band 7.0 as the logical flow is easy to follow from start to finish.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using specific food-related terms such as 'gram flour', 'steaming', 'savoury taste', and 'spongy texture'. There are, however, some lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as referring to the dish being served as a 'snake' instead of a 'snack', and the redundant expression 'popular among all ages people'. Despite these occasional errors, communication is never impeded. You also attempt some less common items like 'vegetarian dish' and 'international students'. To reach a higher band, focus on precision in word choice and eliminating basic typos.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writing includes a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'I am writing to suggest that I prepare...' and 'I believe this dish should be included in the event for several reasons.' There are some grammatical errors and awkward structures present, notably 'prepared by steaming method' (missing an article), 'all ages people' (incorrect modifier structure), and 'they learn how to make and recipe' (incomplete object/phrasing). Punctuation is generally fine, and while errors occur, they rarely impede communication. The control of grammar aligns well with the Band 6 descriptors.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.