Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

During a recent plane journey, you sat next to a businessman who owns a chain of restaurants. You talked to him and he suggested that you should contact him about a possible job in one of his restaurants.

Write a letter to this businessman. In your letter

• remind him when and where you met
• tell him what kind of job you are interested in
• say why you think you would be suitable for the job

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ................. ,

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Dear Mr Ahmed,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to inform you that I am interested in working at one of your restaurants.

My name is Mukarram, your co-passenger on the flight from Jeddah to Hyderabad last month. It was a wonderful experience sharing a flight with you. We talked about various things regarding the food industry, and I learned a lot from you.

I am really good at cooking, as I already told you earlier how i have been leaned towards cooking since my childhood itself. Although i am an excellent Accountant, I believe i will be best suited to work as a Chef in one of your restaurants.

Thank you for your time and support. I hope you will consider me for this role. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you again for sharing your valuable life lessons.

Yours sincerely,

Mukarram

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly identified the context of the meeting, specified your interest in a Chef position, and provided a brief justification for your suitability. However, the development of your ideas is somewhat limited. For example, while you mention being 'really good at cooking,' you could have provided more specific details about your culinary skills or experience to make your application more persuasive. The letter is functional and covers the requirements, but expanding on your suitability would have resulted in a more comprehensive and professional response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter follows a logical structure, moving from the introduction to the purpose of the letter and finally the closing. Paragraphing is used, though the body paragraphs are quite brief. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Although' and 'as,' which help connect your ideas. To reach a higher band, you should aim for a more sophisticated use of linking words and ensure that the transition between your current profession as an Accountant and your interest in cooking is smoother. Overall, the message is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You use a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'valuable life lessons' and 'co-passenger' are appropriate for the context. However, there are some minor issues with word choice and phrasing, such as 'leaned towards cooking since my childhood itself,' which sounds slightly unnatural. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations related to the hospitality industry. The vocabulary is adequate for the task, but lacks the variety and precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as the inconsistent capitalization of 'i' and the awkward phrasing 'how i have been leaned towards.' Additionally, there are minor punctuation errors. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and consistent capitalization will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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