Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-05

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 am writing this to give my detailed feedback on the cookery course. Firstly, it was the great experience for me. I enjoyed every moment of my presence in the class. Teachers were perfect in their work. However, the raw material used is same but presentation and chopping gives the new attractive look like cherry on the cake.

Since it was a short course but gave full basic practical knowledge of cooking. After completing the classes, I moved to a new city and I am preparing my whole day meals by myself. Moreover, this course give the confidence to cook independently.

In addition to this, I would like the school to offer some specific cousin classes which will focus on speciality and for those who want to make career in the field.

I hope my recommendation and feedback will help you to better understand the course in and out.

Yours sincerely,

Mike.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You described your enjoyment of the course, mentioned your current cooking habits, and suggested a new course. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For example, your suggestion for a new course is quite vague; specifying a particular cuisine or skill level would have made the response more convincing and fully developed. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, although the structure could be more polished to better reflect the requirements of a formal feedback request.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is logically organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'However', 'Since', and 'In addition to this' to link your ideas. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as the transition between the raw material comment and the presentation comment. The paragraphing is clear, but the flow between sentences within the paragraphs could be improved to create a more cohesive and professional tone throughout the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message, but it lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. There are some noticeable errors in word choice, such as 'cousin classes' instead of 'cuisine classes' and 'make career' instead of 'pursue a career'. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they indicate a need for more careful attention to collocations and specific terminology related to the topic of cooking and professional development.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'it was the great experience' (missing article/determiner usage), 'the raw material used is same' (missing 'the'), and 'this course give' (subject-verb agreement). While these errors are frequent, they rarely impede communication. To improve, focus on article usage, subject-verb agreement, and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed accurately. Your punctuation is generally functional, but the overall control of grammar needs more consistency to reach a higher band.

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

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