Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-21

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,

hope you doing well, i would like to describe my views about the cooker course that i have learned from your institute. i got knowledge about various dishes but shahi paneer which is one of my favorite . To be honest, the environment of the school is very good such as the staff members and their teaching methods are very beneficial for me. in addition, the best thing i enjoy is to taste that dishes we made during the class.

After completing my short cookery course, i starts enjoy the cooking because i always excited to make different dishes at home and serve to the parents. moreover, my mom always appreciate my cooking skills. now its duty to make dinner on weekend at home.

now, i want to alleborate my skills more. so, i am planning to learn how make south indian dishes like dhokla and so on. So, i can job at professional restaurants.

i am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

thanks

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: describing what was enjoyed, mentioning post-course cooking frequency, and suggesting a new course. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the suggestion for a new course is brief and lacks detail regarding why the school should offer it. While the tone is generally appropriate for a letter, it lacks the formal polish expected in a professional context. The response covers all requirements, but the ideas could be expanded further to provide a more comprehensive and engaging response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For example, the transition 'now its duty to make dinner' is abrupt and lacks a clear logical link to the previous sentence. Additionally, the punctuation is inconsistent, with missing capital letters at the start of sentences and improper use of commas. While the overall message is clear, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the inconsistent paragraph structure prevent a higher score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. There are several instances of word-choice errors, such as 'alleborate' (elaborate) and 'cooker course' (cookery course). The student relies on simple phrasing, such as 'very good' and 'very beneficial', which limits the range. To improve, the student should focus on using more precise terminology related to cooking and professional development. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the lack of variety and the presence of spelling errors (e.g., 'alleborate') indicate a limited lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentences, but grammatical control is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'i starts enjoy', 'i always excited') and tense usage. Punctuation is also a significant issue, with many sentences lacking proper capitalisation and ending punctuation. These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader, though they do not fully impede communication. A greater focus on basic sentence construction and proofreading for grammatical accuracy is necessary to improve this score.

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

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