Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-17

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 hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to give a review of the cookery course I took at your school last month.

The course was really fun. I learnt a lot from it. Since it was about various cuisines, I gained mastery in Chinese, Indian, and Thai food. It was joyful because the chef made every lesson simple to understand. He gave us examples, which were funny, and because of those, we remembered all the tiny details in cooking that individuals often forget while making food.

After completing my course, I make dinner for my family every day. I frequently prepare Thai cuisine because it is my parents' favourite food.

I must say, because of this, I started making delicious food.

I would like to suggest a baking course to start at school. My friends and I are looking for it, and we would love to join it if it starts at our school.

I will wait for your response. Thank you for your time.

Yours faithfully,

John

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly described the enjoyable aspects of the course, such as the chef's teaching style and the variety of cuisines. You also provided information about your current cooking habits and suggested a baking course. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a course director. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on the 'why' behind your suggestions or provide more descriptive detail about the specific skills gained, which would further develop your ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each point, and a closing. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different requirements of the task. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Since', 'After completing', and 'because of this' to link ideas. While the flow is clear, the transition between sentences could be more sophisticated. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and referencing phrases to create a smoother, more natural progression between your thoughts.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'mastery', 'cuisines', and 'frequently'. The language is generally natural and conveys your meaning clearly. However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive and lacks variety in certain areas (e.g., using 'fun' and 'joyful' to describe the course). To achieve a higher score, incorporate more precise or academic collocations and less common lexical items to describe your experiences, which would demonstrate a more flexible and sophisticated command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, and your grammar is generally accurate. Most sentences are error-free, and your meaning is always clear. There are some minor issues with phrasing, such as 'I make dinner' (which should be 'I have been making dinner' to show duration) and 'start at school' (which would be better as 'at your school'). While you have good control, incorporating a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as passive voice or conditional sentences, would help demonstrate a broader range.

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

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