Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-03

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 5.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well.

I am writing this letter to share my feedback regarding with the course I recently enrolled and finished.

I took this cookery course because I am quite fond of trying new recipes and food since I became a mother. I enrolled because I want to discover new ideas for preparing a healthy meal. More over I want to broaden my knowledge with cooking as it is essential in our daily life. I learned the different uses of some spices which will help me and guide me if I am trying to cook different recipes. In addition, the course also guide me with the proper steps on baking some sweets, for instance , cake and pastries. The chef who attended our course has a limitless patience and very supportive.

I am looking forward to attend with another cookery course if the school will offer with additional knowledge for international cuisine.

Overall, I enjoyed my short cookery course and will recommend to my friends who will be interested.

Respectfully yours,

Jessica

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You described what you enjoyed (learning about spices and baking), mentioned your cooking habits, and suggested a future course. However, the second bullet point regarding how much cooking you have done since the course is under-developed; you mention wanting to learn more, but you do not explicitly state how much you have practiced since finishing the lessons. To improve, ensure each bullet point is fully extended with specific details. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter, and the purpose is clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter follows a logical structure with a clear opening and closing. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In addition' and 'Overall' to link ideas. However, the paragraphing is insufficient; the entire body of the letter is contained within one block, which makes it harder to follow. Using separate paragraphs for each bullet point would significantly improve the flow and readability. Additionally, some transitions are slightly mechanical or misused, such as 'regarding with' or 'More over', which affects the overall cohesion of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using words like 'enrolled', 'broaden', and 'essential'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'regarding with the course', 'attended our course' (instead of 'taught our course'), and 'limitless patience'. These errors do not prevent understanding, but they indicate a need for more precise vocabulary usage. To reach a higher band, focus on learning common collocations and ensuring that prepositions are used correctly with specific verbs.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with verb tenses and preposition usage, such as 'the course also guide me' (should be 'guided') and 'looking forward to attend with' (should be 'looking forward to attending'). The use of 'if I am trying to cook' is also slightly unnatural. While these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct verb forms following phrases like 'looking forward to'.

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