Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-01

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 ovarall experience during the cookery classes which was amazing for me as a beginner.

I enjoyed a lot when i initiated my course as it made me confident to put my hands in several dishes from whom i was affraid.The portion that attracted me most was practical knowledge which was mix of fun and intution. Furthermore, i thanked my cooperative and supportive tutors who gave me detailed information.

From my course, now I am able to prepare all the indian dishes with different manners like italy dosa, Indian curry, Butter chicken, which is quite popular in whole world. Moreover, i also learned some foreign cuisines such as Sushi.

Although i learned numerous dishes, I want to encourage you to bring some advanced course in college so we can continue new courses.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The response covers all parts of the prompt by describing what was enjoyed, mentioning the cooking done since, and suggesting an advanced course. However, the length requirement is not met, as the response contains only 141 words, falling short of the 150-word minimum. Furthermore, the development of ideas is minimal and somewhat superficial. For instance, the bullet point regarding how much cooking has been done lists dishes like 'italy dosa' and 'Butter chicken' rather than fully expanding on the frequency or context of cooking at home. The purpose of the letter is clear, but the limited elaboration and failure to meet the minimum word count prevent a higher rating for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement with a clear beginning ('Dear Sir or Madam') and logical paragraphing that corresponds to the bullet points in the prompt. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'From my course', and 'Moreover' to link ideas together. However, referencing and cohesion can sometimes feel a bit mechanical or slightly awkward, such as transitioning abruptly into listing specific dishes. Paragraph structures are visible and serve to separate the different topics requested in the task, which keeps the reader oriented throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

An adequate range of vocabulary is used for the task, allowing you to successfully convey your experiences and mention specific dishes like 'Butter chicken' and 'foreign cuisines such as Sushi'. There are noticeable errors in word choice, spelling, and word form—such as 'ovarall', 'affraid', 'intution', and 'italy dosa' instead of 'Italian dosa'—as well as stylistic issues like 'put my hands in several dishes'. However, these lexical slips and spelling inaccuracies do not seriously impede overall communication, placing your vocabulary use securely at this level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as using subordinate clauses introduced by 'as' and 'although'. There are several grammar and punctuation errors throughout the text, including the lowercase 'i', capitalization issues with 'indian' and 'italy', incorrect preposition usage in 'put my hands in several dishes from whom i was affraid', and a missing article in 'bring some advanced course'. Despite these various errors in agreement, prepositions, and punctuation, the sentences remain comprehensible and rarely impede the reader's understanding of your message.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.