Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-17

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 5.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well. The purpose of writing this email is to give my feedback on a short cookery course.

A two months ago, I have started this course at the cookery school. Before, I was a little bit nervous and anxious about learning a new skill. It was my first time to learn cooking. When i started learning, i got confidence. I really enjoyed the process of learning. In addition, I liked the most in this course is that they taught me from beginner level to professonal cook. A learning about all ingridents and cooking style was the best part for me.

I learned several things from this course which i apply in my cooking.After this course, I take care of the kitchen at home and often cook for my family.

In the suggestion, I would suggest you that you should offer a short bakery course which might help

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. The student describes what they enjoyed about the course, specifically mentioning going from a beginner to a professional level, learning about ingredients, and gaining confidence. They mention how much cooking they have done since the course by stating they take care of the kitchen at home and often cook for their family. Additionally, they suggest another course, proposing a short bakery course. However, the letter trails off mid-sentence at the end ("which might help"), meaning the third bullet point is slightly incomplete and under-developed. Because of this slight truncation, the task is addressed adequately overall, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter follows a clear overall arrangement and opens with the appropriate formal salutation. Ideas are generally grouped logically, moving from the introduction and feedback to post-course cooking habits and finally a suggestion. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped, with the entire body of the text lumped together into a single block. Cohesive devices are basic and sometimes mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of "this course" and "learning." Referencing is occasionally unclear, as seen in the transition "In the suggestion, I would suggest you..." While the progression is coherent enough to follow without difficulty, the lack of paragraph breaks and limited cohesive control keep this criterion at a Band 5.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating personal experiences and opinions. Words and phrases like "nervous and anxious," "beginner level," and "ingredients" are appropriate for the context. However, there are notable spelling errors, such as "profesional" instead of professional and "ingridents" instead of ingredients, as well as awkward phrasing like "A learning about all ingridents." Less common lexical items are attempted with some inaccuracy. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning, the recurrent spelling mistakes and restricted collocation flexibility place this performance firmly at Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety. For instance, the student successfully uses subordinate clauses in sentences like "When i started learning, i got confidence." However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Notable issues include tense and time-marker mismatches, such as "A two months ago, I have started this course," and missing articles or prepositions, such as "It was my first time to learn cooking" and "which i apply in my cooking." Punctuation and capitalization errors also appear, such as lower-case "i." These errors occasionally distract the reader, but they rarely impede overall communication, supporting a Band 5.5 score.

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

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