Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-19

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 to express my feedback about the cooking course which i attended at your school.

I am extremely delighted after attending this course. I really appreciated my mentor, he was always available to help me. He was very friendly and took care of all students. Initially, i was afraid to joining the course but after joining the classes, i gain lots of confident and knowledge.

I learnt several types of dishes. Now i can make international food also such as italian, mexican, and thai. I make dinner everyday at my home and served to my family.

I would like to join the another course in the upcoming holidays. I would learn about cookies, cakes, and pastries. This course provide me to eligibility of making cakes for my family on their special occasion.

I

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: describing the course, mentioning current cooking habits, and suggesting a new course. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The final paragraph is incomplete, ending abruptly with 'I', which suggests a lack of planning and failure to complete the task requirements fully. To improve, ensure all sections are fully developed with sufficient detail and check that the letter reaches the required length to avoid a penalty.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite basic and repetitive. For example, the transition between ideas is often abrupt, and the lack of a proper closing or sign-off makes the letter feel unfinished. The progression of ideas is logical, but the mechanical nature of the sentences and the abrupt ending hinder the overall flow. Using a wider variety of linking words would improve the cohesion of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. You use simple terms like 'lots of confident' (which is grammatically incorrect) and 'international food'. There is a reliance on basic vocabulary, and some word choices are slightly unnatural, such as 'provide me to eligibility'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise collocations and a wider range of topic-specific vocabulary related to cooking and education, while ensuring words are used in their correct grammatical form.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('This course provide me'), incorrect verb forms ('afraid to joining'), and missing articles. The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. The error 'i gain lots of confident' shows a lack of control over word classes. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors is noticeable and impacts the overall quality of the writing. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would be beneficial.

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

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