Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-07

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 4.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to provide the feedback you asked for regarding my cookery course. I found this course interesting and I also recommend it to one of my friend. Also, the certificate I got after completing my course will be helpful in finding a job in future.

I enjoyed the course with all my heart by cooking different dishes. Moreover, I love cooking, which makes it more interesting. I was shocked when I noticed that I was using wrong ingredients to cook meals. The best part was when we cooked dishes and eat together after class. I tried many dishes for the first time in my life while pursuing this course.

As mentioned earlier, I am fond of cooking but I did not do much meal prepping at my home. I

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

You address the course feedback and describe several enjoyable aspects, including trying unfamiliar dishes, learning about ingredients, and eating together after class. However, the response does not complete the task: the amount of cooking you have done since the course is not stated, and you do not suggest another course for the school to offer. The final sentence, “I …”, is unfinished, so these required points are absent rather than developed. The response also falls 13 words short of the 150-word minimum. To improve, complete all three bullet points explicitly, adding a specific example of cooking at home and naming a course you would like the school to run.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The letter has a recognisable opening and moves from general feedback to what you enjoyed, then begins to discuss cooking at home. Paragraphing helps separate these ideas, and connectors such as “Moreover” and “As mentioned earlier” show an attempt to link points. However, the progression is incomplete: the final paragraph stops at “I”, leaving the reader without the promised information or a closing. “Also” and “Moreover” are used to add points, but the links between the course experience and its outcomes could be clearer. Finish the final paragraph, address the remaining task points in a logical order, and add an appropriate sign-off to make the letter feel complete.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of relevant vocabulary, including “certificate,” “ingredients,” “dishes,” and “meal prepping,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are also some natural phrases, such as “for the first time in my life.” However, several choices are imprecise or awkward: “recommend it to one of my friend” should be “recommend it to one of my friends,” while “enjoyed the course with all my heart” sounds overly emotional for a feedback letter. “Meal prepping” is understandable but less natural here than “preparing meals at home.” Aim for more precise, appropriately formal collocations, and vary repeated general words such as “course” and “dishes.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and some more complex forms, including the relative clause “which makes it more interesting” and the time clause “when we cooked dishes.” Most sentences are understandable, but errors remain in verb forms and agreement. In “when we cooked dishes and eat together,” the verbs should be parallel (“cooked … and ate”). In “one of my friend,” the noun needs to be plural (“friends”). The final “I” is an incomplete sentence, and the response therefore lacks a finished grammatical ending. Check verb consistency within coordinated clauses, plural forms after “one of my,” and sentence completion. These corrections would make your ideas clearer and more controlled.

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