Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-30

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're doing well.

I am writing my feedback regarding a cooking course that I was just completed. I done with a two months course to upgarde my culnary skiils. The course helped me in many ways like preparing the dishes for my family and loved ones. I really enjoyed to make a number of different cuisines in this course.

Secondly, after the completion of my course I invited my instructors and colleagues for dinner. They provided me very beneficial feedback on all of my dishes.

Lastly, I would like to request the management of institute to introduce another short term cooking course especially, sea food cuisins. I would like to grab the knowledge so that I will explore the coatal regions around the world.

I am look forward to hear from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

George

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response addresses all three bullet points: describing the course, mentioning post-course cooking, and suggesting a new course. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of ideas. The suggestions are clear, but the explanation of why you enjoyed the course is somewhat brief. To improve, you should expand on specific aspects of the course, such as particular techniques or instructors, to ensure the response is sufficiently developed and meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized into paragraphs, each addressing a specific bullet point. The use of transition words like 'Secondly' and 'Lastly' helps guide the reader through the text. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by grammatical errors, and some sentences feel slightly disjointed. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, but the overall progression could be smoother if the sentences were linked more naturally rather than relying on simple sequencing markers.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but there are several spelling errors, such as 'upgarde', 'culnary', 'skiils', and 'coatal'. Additionally, 'grab the knowledge' is not a natural collocation in this context. While you demonstrate an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary like 'cuisines' and 'instructors', the frequent spelling mistakes and limited range of vocabulary prevent a higher score. Focusing on accurate spelling and learning common collocations related to cooking and education would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'I was just completed' (passive voice error), 'I done with' (missing verb), and 'I really enjoyed to make' (incorrect verb pattern). The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. The errors in verb tense and subject-verb agreement are noticeable and occasionally impede the flow of reading. To improve, you should focus on mastering basic sentence construction and ensuring consistent verb tenses.

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

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