Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-19

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 5.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well. First, I would like to thank to all the instructors, professors, and director of this institution for being active and hands-on of this course in cookery. I really enjoy the course I have chosen. Being an earner NCII of cookery, helps me in achieving my dreams to become an international cookery. In addition, the director gave us the qualities in teaching those strategies and tips in making, cooking, and mixing different kinds of food especially the famous foods from different countries. I'd like to share and promote this course in social media platform that this school offers and provides quality education. I would suggest that this institution will offer another kind of cookery such as baking. Thank you for this opportunity as being part of this course in cookery.

Best regards,

Patricia

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

The letter is addressed appropriately and gives positive feedback about the instructors and the course, and it suggests baking as a future course. However, the task is only partially addressed: the key point about how much cooking you have done since completing the course is missing. The enjoyment is described in broad terms, such as appreciating the instructors’ “strategies and tips,” but no specific activity or aspect of the course is explained. The suggestion of baking is relevant but would benefit from a reason. The response is also 8 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to develop the required points. Add a clear statement about how often you have cooked since the course and expand each point with a concrete detail.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The letter follows a recognisable format, with an appropriate greeting, a sequence of comments, a closing, and a sign-off. Ideas are generally understandable, and phrases such as “First” and “In addition” signal movement between points. However, the body is presented as one long paragraph, and the progression is not fully clear: thanks, personal background, course content, promotion, and the baking suggestion run together. The missing information about cooking since the course also leaves an important part of the letter unconnected to the rest. Use separate paragraphs for course feedback, subsequent cooking, and your suggestion, and use simple links such as “Since completing the course” to make the sequence easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of relevant vocabulary, including “hands-on,” “strategies and tips,” “promote,” and “quality education,” so the reader can understand your positive view of the school. There are also attempts at more specific language about cooking different foods. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unclear, including “earner NCII of cookery,” “international cookery,” and “famous foods.” These expressions make parts of your meaning difficult to interpret. Aim for natural phrases that describe your qualification and career goal, such as “holder of an NC II qualification” and “professional chef.” More precise terms for the course content, such as “dishes from different countries,” would also make your feedback clearer and more idiomatic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes both simple sentences and attempts at longer structures, for example, “I would suggest that this institution will offer another kind of cookery such as baking.” The overall message remains understandable, but errors in sentence construction and verb forms are noticeable. In “I would like to thank to all the instructors,” the verb “thank” does not take “to”; “I really enjoy the course I have chosen” needs a past form to match the completed course; and “Being an earner NCII of cookery, helps me…” has an incorrectly formed opening clause and an unnecessary comma. The sentence beginning “In addition, the director gave us…” also has an unclear subject and structure. Practise accurate past-tense reporting and build longer sentences around clear subjects and verbs.

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