Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-11

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,

I am writing to appreciate you about the cookery course that I took it from the cookery school. It was an amazing experience for me because I love to do cooking and I learned so many things from this course.

It was very essention for me for my further life. I am extremely happy after taking this course because I met many other people who have a little bit knowledge about different types of food like mexican, south Indian and spices that they use. I did enjoy a lot and learn about new foods tips and tricks.

Now, I have sufficient knowledge about Indian cooking which is so important for me. Almost, I have learned from this course and some of things I learned from my grandmother. She told me a few traditional techniques about making meals. My overall experience was excellent.

I would like to give you one suggestion if you could do this. My recommendation is about italian cookery course in which people can learn how to make a pasta, noodles. These dishes are on top in young generation.

I am looking forward hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Ramandeep Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the three requested points: you describe enjoying the course and meeting people, mention cooking knowledge gained, and recommend an Italian cookery course. However, the feedback about what you enjoyed is general, and the amount of cooking you have done since the course is not clearly stated. “Almost, I have learned from this course” is unclear and does not explain how often you have cooked or what you have made. The suggested course is relevant, but the examples of pasta and noodles could be explained more clearly. To make the letter more complete, give a specific example of a dish you have cooked since the course and explain what made the course enjoyable.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: you introduce your purpose, discuss the course, make a suggestion, and close politely. Paragraphing helps separate these stages, and expressions such as “Now” and “My recommendation” guide the reader. Some links are less effective, however. “Almost, I have learned from this course” does not connect clearly to the previous point, and the shift from your grandmother’s techniques to your overall experience feels abrupt. The repeated positive statements also make the progression somewhat circular. Use clearer transitions to show how the course led to your cooking since then, and keep each paragraph focused on one requested point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “traditional techniques,” “different types of food,” and “recommendation.” There are also attempts at more specific language, such as naming Mexican and South Indian food. However, several noticeable word-choice and collocation errors make parts of the letter awkward or unclear: “appreciate you about the cookery course,” “new foods tips and tricks,” and “on top in young generation.” Some spelling and word-form choices, including “essention,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for natural phrases commonly used in feedback letters, and check spelling and collocations. More precise vocabulary for dishes and cooking activities would help you explain your experience more clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You communicate through a mixture of simple sentences and some attempts to give reasons, as in “It was an amazing experience for me because I love to do cooking.” However, errors occur frequently and sometimes make the intended meaning difficult to follow. For example, “the course that I took it” includes an unnecessary pronoun, while “I did enjoy a lot and learn” has inconsistent verb forms. “I am looking forward hearing from you” is missing a grammatical element, and “how to make a pasta” has an article error. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and sentence patterns with infinitives and gerunds. Proofreading for articles, verb forms, and sentence construction would improve clarity.

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

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