Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-12

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You recently did a short cookery course. The cookery school has asked for your feedback on this course. Write a letter to the course director at the cookery school. In your letter

• describe what you enjoyed about the course
• say how much cooking you've done since the course
• suggest another cookery course you’d like the school to offer

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my satisfaction in the just concluded short cookery course. I am happy to be one of your students.

I really enjoyed the course because I learned lots of different African dishes and its cultural meaning. The cookery course is well explained and the practical aspects is detailed, I always looked forward to that.

I love watching people eat what I cook but ever since the course, I cooked different delicacy for my loved ones, especially pineapple rice, party jollof, cork tail. They are actually enjoying it because they experience new taste all the time. My friends are always looking forward to my next dish.

I think the school should organize another cookery course, it could be on various continental dishes. Maybe Italian, Spanish or Arabia type of food. Many students might be happy to learn that too.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks for your consideration.

Yours faithfully,

Lynda

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

You address all three requested points and maintain a suitable, appreciative tone for a letter to the course director. You explain that you enjoyed learning African dishes and their cultural meaning, describe cooking for loved ones since the course, and suggest a course on continental cuisines, naming Italian and Spanish food. These details make the response relevant and give the reader a clear sense of your experience. The account of cooking could be more specific—for example, how often you have cooked or which dishes you have prepared on particular occasions—and the proposed course could be explained further. Developing these ideas would make the feedback more fully supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear overall progression: you introduce your purpose, discuss what you enjoyed, describe cooking after the course, and then make a suggestion. Separate paragraphs help the reader follow these points, and the closing is appropriate. Linking phrases such as “because,” “ever since,” and “Maybe” connect ideas, although some transitions feel abrupt, particularly the move from describing your cooking to recommending a new course. The sentence beginning “I love watching people eat what I cook” could be linked more clearly to the examples that follow. Use a few more precise connections between ideas, while avoiding unnecessary repetition, to make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the purpose, including “cultural meaning,” “practical aspects,” “continental dishes,” and “looking forward.” These choices communicate your enthusiasm and the course suggestion clearly. There are, however, some inaccurate or unnatural word choices and collocations, such as “satisfaction in the just concluded” and “experience new taste.” The food list also includes “cork tail,” which may not express the intended dish clearly. Aim for more natural phrasing and check spelling and word forms, especially when naming foods. Greater precision in these areas would make the letter sound more fluent and polished.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more developed sentence forms, and the message remains clear. For example, “I really enjoyed the course because I learned…” gives a clear reason, while the sentence about cooking for loved ones adds relevant detail. Some grammatical errors remain, including the agreement problem in “the practical aspects is detailed” and the unclear tense sequence in “ever since the course, I cooked.” The sentence joining “The cookery course is well explained” and “the practical aspects…” also needs clearer punctuation or a conjunction. Review subject–verb agreement and use present perfect forms for actions continuing from the past to the present.

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.