Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have seen an advertisement from a couple, who live in Australia, for someone to teach their two children your language for a year. Write a letter to the couple. In your letter

• explain why you think you would be suitable for the job
• say what else you could do for the family
• give your reasons for wanting the job

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear .................. ,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear sir.

I am writing this letter to express my interest in the job opportunity for language teacher advertised in the newspaper. I have opted the two years of experience as a Ielts trainer in India with productive outcomes of the students.

Apart from that, I recently completed graduation in early childhood education and got licence from the provincial government that enables me to take care the children after their parents, due to which you can utilize your time without concerning about your kids.

However, I have to complete some documentation which take around three quarter of my day and then have plenty of time to make more money. Another reason to show my interest in this job is traveling time, the traveling time is just 20 min from my house.

I hope you consider me as your children's language teacher.

Yours sincerely

Prabhbir singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: suitability, additional help, and reasons for applying. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the score. The content is somewhat underdeveloped; for instance, the explanation of why you want the job focuses heavily on personal convenience (travel time and money) rather than a genuine interest in the family or the cultural exchange aspect, which would be more appropriate for this task. The tone is also slightly inconsistent, shifting from a professional application to a focus on personal financial gain.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition 'However' at the start of the third paragraph is used incorrectly, as the following information does not contrast with the previous paragraph. The flow between ideas is somewhat disjointed, and the letter lacks a natural, professional progression. Improving the use of linking words such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in addition' would help create a smoother, more logical flow between your points.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You use basic phrasing such as 'make more money' and 'take care the children'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'opted the two years of experience' and 'got licence'. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more natural, professional collocations, such as 'gained two years of experience' or 'obtained a license'. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility or range required for a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'I have opted the two years of experience', 'take care the children after their parents', and 'due to which you can utilize your time without concerning about your kids'. The sentence structures are relatively simple, and there is a lack of complex sentence forms. Punctuation is also inconsistent, such as the use of 'Dear sir.' instead of a standard salutation like 'Dear Mr and Mrs [Name],'. You need to focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions.

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

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