Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-15

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,am writing this letter to inform you about a popular dish in our country nigeria which is pounded yam, with egusi soup.

The time of meal is very delicious and it is eaten across various tribes in the world be it yoruba ,edo, or igbo.the food egusi,is made from pumkin seeds and it is grated with a blender and added into a hot palm oil to fry, after frying u can add you meat stock and then allow it to cook properly with your prefered proten of your choice.be it beef,or chicken for the last step you add your pumkin and seasoning for some flavour.

If you like spicy food you can add pepper that suit your taste otherwwise you can skip that part cause most people dont like spicy foods.for the yam you peel your yam,wash it and put into a boiling water,allow to cook for 15 minutes, once it is properly boiled allow it to cool down abit and then pound it until it becames soft and smooth.

I think this should be included as it is going to be a very delicious meal for every one even for those who has not had the meal before,it is a special delicacy for the bini kingdom only the noble blood get to test it. i think others who are not part of benin kingdom or people who are not royalty will definately enjoy it as well cause it gives evetyone the opputunity to have a taste.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you offer pounded yam with egusi soup, explain how both parts are prepared, and give a reason for including the dish. The preparation details make the description relevant and informative. Your reason that it would let people try a new meal is appropriate, but it is less fully developed than the recipe, and the claim that it is “a special delicacy for the bini kingdom only the noble blood get to test it” is unclear and could distract from your main case. To strengthen the letter, explain more directly what makes the dish popular or distinctive in Nigeria and why it would appeal to the club’s international audience. A brief, clear offer to prepare or bring it would also make the purpose of the letter more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The ideas follow a broadly sensible order: you introduce the dish, describe the soup and yam, then explain why it belongs at the event. This gives the reader an overall route through the letter. However, the response is presented as one long block, so the separate purposes are not easy to distinguish. Several sentences run together, and transitions such as “for the last step” and “for the yam” do not always make the sequence smooth. Use short paragraphs for the offer, description, and reason, and separate the cooking instructions into clear steps. More controlled punctuation and a few linking phrases would improve progression without relying on repeated “and” or “then.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant food vocabulary, including “pounded yam,” “egusi soup,” “palm oil,” “meat stock,” and “seasoning,” which helps communicate the dish and its preparation. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “special delicacy.” However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “pumkin,” “prefered proten,” “test it,” and “evetyone,” and some expressions are imprecise, such as “the time of meal” and “the food egusi.” These do not prevent the reader from understanding the main idea, but they reduce accuracy and naturalness. Check spelling carefully and choose standard food descriptions, for example, “the dish is delicious” and “taste it.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, including instructions linked with “once” and “after,” and the main meaning is generally understandable. However, sentence boundaries and grammatical control are inconsistent. The opening, “Dear Luis,am writing,” is missing a space and the subject “I”; several sentences join multiple clauses without appropriate punctuation. There are also errors in agreement and verb forms, as in “everyone who has not had the meal” and “allow to cook,” where the subject or object is not consistently expressed. Use complete sentences, check subject–verb agreement, and punctuate each cooking step separately. These changes would make your varied ideas easier to follow and more accurate.

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