Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 good, I'm writing that Latter to inform you about level 1 cookery course which i like alot . This is my first experience at all, which i enjoy Alot how to do simple cooking at home,how to prepare dishes for someone and the best part was presentation . so i'm glad i did it with your help. my family is so thankful and although i'm preparing breakfast on weekned for them , they really appreciate which make me happy i am very Greatful for that .

Also i love to join level 2 if you offer because i feel its not enough for me i want practice to jump next level because now i saw future in that i can be chef one day .so i will be happy if you offer another course as well .

Hope you can think about that . thank you so much.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: describing enjoyment of the course, mentioning current cooking habits, and suggesting a future course. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention enjoying the presentation and preparing breakfast, the explanation remains quite brief. To improve, try to elaborate more on specific skills learned or why you enjoyed the presentation. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter to a course director, though it could be slightly more formal to better suit the context of a professional feedback request.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into three paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between the description of the course and the current cooking habits is abrupt. There is a lack of variety in linking words, and some sentences are run-on or lack clear punctuation, which affects the flow of ideas. Using a wider range of cohesive devices (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'in addition to this') would help to connect your ideas more smoothly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. There are several spelling errors ('Latter' instead of 'letter', 'weekned' instead of 'weekend', 'Greatful' instead of 'Grateful') and some awkward phrasing, such as 'I saw future in that'. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little attempt to use more precise or sophisticated language. To reach a higher band, focus on using more varied adjectives and collocations related to cooking and professional feedback.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentences, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Issues include incorrect verb tenses ('I'm writing that Latter to inform you... which i like alot'), missing articles, and run-on sentences that lack proper punctuation. For example, 'I'm writing that Latter to inform you about level 1 cookery course which i like alot' should be punctuated more carefully. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to distract the reader and indicate a need for more careful proofreading.

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

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