Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-12

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 5.5)

Dear Madam,

I am writing a letter to the course director about the cookery course which I enjoyed a lot. I love cooking so I enroll in this course to enhance my skills. My director is very humble. She taught me a lot of new things and tricks also. I enjoyed cooking with her.

Moreover, I made a plethora of dishes such as Veggie Hakka noodles, Indian curries, Manchurian, and some more. I love to eat junk food. I learned these types of food so that I can make it at home.

Furthermore, I also want to learn how to bake because my siblings love to eat different types of cookies and cakes. So, I suggest my director offer this course also and I will be able to make some dishes for my siblings.

Yours faithfully

Prabhjeet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses all three bullet points, but the development is quite limited. You describe what you enjoyed and suggest a baking course, but the requirement to explain how much cooking you have done since the course is addressed only vaguely by saying you want to make food at home. Furthermore, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which significantly impacts the development of your ideas. To improve, ensure you expand on each point with more detail and reach the required word count to fully demonstrate your ability to communicate in a professional context.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat mechanical. You use basic cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'Furthermore', but the flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed. For instance, the transition from discussing the course to your personal preference for junk food feels abrupt. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus that connects logically to the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using words like 'plethora' and 'enhance'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'I enroll in this course' (should be past tense 'enrolled') and 'I learned these types of food' (you learn recipes or techniques, not the food itself). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Try to incorporate more specific culinary terminology and ensure your verb tenses are consistent with the context of a past event.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. While there are some attempts at complex sentences, they often contain errors, such as 'I am writing a letter... about the cookery course which I enjoyed a lot' (the relative clause is acceptable, but the overall structure is basic). There are also tense inconsistencies, such as 'I enroll' instead of 'enrolled'. Punctuation is generally correct, but the limited variety of grammatical structures restricts your score. Focus on using a mix of compound and complex sentences with accurate verb tenses to improve your control.

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

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