Onterra TutorDescribe a dish from your country that you would cook for a visitor.
Duolingo English Test writing question in the official format, with a full model answer and notes on why it scores. Write your own version below it and get an instant rater-style score.
The question
Describe a dish from your country that you would cook for a visitor. What is it, and why would you choose that one?
Model answer
I would cook jollof rice, and I would cook it slowly, because the whole point is the smoky layer at the bottom of the pot. It appears at every wedding and every naming ceremony I have been to, so serving it tells a visitor how we celebrate rather than simply what we eat. There is a second reason I would choose it. Everybody argues about jollof: which country makes it best, whose mother makes it properly, whether rinsing the rice is a crime. That argument is far more welcoming than it sounds, because by the time my guest has taken a side they have stopped being a guest. Food that starts a debate is food that starts a friendship.
Why this answer scores
- Chooses one dish and commits, instead of describing three dishes shallowly.
- The sensory detail (the smoky layer, rinsing the rice) proves first-hand knowledge in very few words.
- Answers both halves of the prompt, what and why, and the why is unusual rather than generic.
Do not memorise model answers; raters recognise recycled essays instantly. Study the moves, then make them with your own ideas, and check where you stand with a scored practice.
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