Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-14

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 am writting this letter to inform about the arrangment of celebrating popular food globaly by the club .

I am mainly writting this to represent my country by adding a famous dish from it . i am deciding to cook by myself in this event which is a main dish in Maharashtra and can represent the authentic taste of India through it.

this dish is called pav bhaji in india which is a kind of mashed form of potatoes and many more vegetables together which contains a tangy and spicy taste , it is served with pavs at side and some salad with lemon and butter .

As i am origanally from India and i am so attached to this in a way as its my goto food for everytime and i love to eat it mostly without getting bored ,its defferent flavours makes it special becouse of which i thought it could be a best choice to add in the event as people of other comunity and country will like it too .

regards.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you offer to prepare pav bhaji, describe its ingredients and serving style, and explain that it represents your Indian background and may appeal to people from other countries. These details make the letter relevant and give the organiser a clear reason to consider the dish. However, the offer could be more direct and practical—for example, confirm that you can prepare it for the event and mention how you could serve it to guests. The explanation of its appeal is also somewhat personal and general: saying it is your “goto food” shows enthusiasm, but a specific point about its popularity or distinctive flavours would develop the case more fully. A suitable closing and a more consistently polite letter style would also strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The ideas follow a generally sensible order: you introduce your offer, describe the dish, and then explain why it belongs at the event. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these parts, and the reader can follow the main message. Some connections are less smooth, however. The opening repeats “I am writing,” while the long final paragraph combines your personal connection, the dish’s flavours, and its potential appeal without clear separation. The transition from the offer to the description could also be more explicit. Use concise linking phrases such as “The dish I would like to prepare is…” and give the reason for including it in a separate, focused paragraph. The closing “regards” is abrupt and would work better as a complete sign-off.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant food vocabulary, including “mashed,” “vegetables,” “tangy,” “spicy,” “salad,” and “butter,” which helps the reader picture pav bhaji. The dish name and references to its regional and national identity also suit the topic. However, spelling errors and informal or imprecise expressions reduce the accuracy and range of your vocabulary: examples include “writting,” “arrangment,” “globaly,” “goto food,” and “defferent flavours.” Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “represent the authentic taste of India through it” and “people of other comunity and country.” Aim for accurate spelling and more natural collocations, such as “showcase Indian cuisine” and “appeal to guests from different backgrounds.” This would make the letter sound more polished and appropriate for an organiser.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the main meaning is usually understandable. For example, the description beginning “this dish is called pav bhaji” conveys what it contains and how it is served. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly in sentence boundaries, articles, and clause construction. The opening phrase “inform about the arrangment” needs a clearer grammatical pattern, while “which is a main dish in Maharashtra” is awkwardly attached to the preceding sentence. The final sentence is long and joins several ideas with commas, making its structure difficult to control. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, including lowercase “i” and the uncapitalised start of paragraphs. Practise building shorter, complete sentences and checking articles and clause links before submitting.

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