Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-07

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 5.0)

Dear Luis,

I am a dental student of final year from Pakistan. I am also the member of International Students club. The club is organising an event to celebrate popular food from all around the world. I want to participate in the event. I want to make a popular dish of Pakistan.

Luis, I want to represent my country. I want to cook Biryani for the event. I shall explain it to you what exactly is it? Biryani is a type of rich cooked with a cicken and a blend of spice. It is a little bit spicy. I shall definately say that you will love it.

I am from Pakistan and many students from Pakistan are also studing here. I want to cook for them. I want to represent my country and make my parents feel proud.

I shall be very thankful to you if you allow me.

Yours truly,

Zeeshan Khadim.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the three requested points: you offer to prepare biryani, identify it as a Pakistani dish, and give reasons for including it, such as representing your country and serving other Pakistani students. However, the explanation of the dish is very brief, and the reasons for its inclusion are personal rather than showing what it would add to an international food event. The description, “a type of rich cooked with a cicken and a blend of spice,” is also unclear. The response contains 139 words, so it is 11 words below the 150-word minimum; the 14 words copied from the task prompt were not counted. Develop the dish’s ingredients or preparation and explain its appeal to a wider audience.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The letter has a recognisable structure, with an opening, a paragraph about biryani, reasons for taking part, and a polite closing. The reader can follow the general purpose. However, progression is limited because several ideas are repeated rather than developed: “I want to participate,” “I want to cook,” and “I want to represent my country” recur without adding much new information. The transition from describing the dish to explaining why it belongs at the event is also abrupt. Some linking is mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “I want” and “I shall.” Group related information more clearly and use a few natural links to show how the dish’s qualities make it suitable for the event.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic vocabulary to communicate the basic message, including “popular dish,” “Biryani,” “spicy,” and “blend of spice.” However, the range is limited and several word choices, collocations, and spelling errors make parts of the description difficult to understand. For example, “a type of rich cooked” does not clearly describe the dish, while “cicken,” “definately,” and “studing” are misspelled. “Popular food from all around the world” also repeats the task wording rather than adding precise language. Build a more specific description using accurate food vocabulary, such as rice, meat, herbs, and spices, and check spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Most sentences use simple patterns, and the basic message is generally understandable, but the range is limited and errors occur frequently. Examples include “I am a dental student of final year from Pakistan,” where the article and phrase structure are faulty, and “I am also the member,” which needs an article adjustment. The question “I shall explain it to you what exactly is it?” has an incorrect embedded-question structure. In “Biryani is a type of rich cooked with a cicken,” the sentence structure is incomplete, making the meaning unclear. Practise accurate article use and embedded questions, and combine simple statements into a few controlled complex sentences to explain the dish and your reasons.

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

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