Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-16

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 because I have seen your advertisement for teaching your children. My name is Jameson, from India.

Firstly, I want to let you know that I did masters in maths and science, so I think i am suitable for the job, and you will not face any problem in language.

Furthermore, I can help you with accounts and all online business which will really help you in your business growth and you will be free from these responsibility.

Last but not the least, I think getting this job is a good for my future goals, as I was willing to get this kind of job in which I am professional. However, teaching is a good profession acording to me as my family baground is also from teaching.

Kind Regards,

jameson

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all three bullet points required in the prompt. You explained your suitability by mentioning your master's degree in maths and science. You stated what else you could do by offering to help with accounts and online businesses, and you gave your reasons for wanting the job based on your future goals and family background. However, the letter starts with an inappropriate salutation ('Dear sir' instead of addressing the couple properly based on the prompt) and the length requirement was not met, as the text contains only 135 words, falling short of the 150-word minimum. This negative impact on word count prevents a higher band score, resulting in a score of 5.5.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into clear paragraphs, each addressing a different aspect of the prompt. You make use of cohesive markers such as 'Firstly', 'Furthermore', and 'Last but not the least' to guide the reader through your points. However, the overall progression is somewhat basic, and referencing is occasionally loose, such as the transition into the final paragraph. Paragraphing is present and mostly appropriate, though the opening greeting and closing formatting could be more polished. Cohesion is functional overall, earning a solid score of 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your message clearly. You attempt some less common expressions, such as 'business growth' and 'future goals'. However, there are several word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'did masters' instead of 'completed a master's degree', 'acording' (spelling error), and 'family baground' (spelling error). While these minor errors do not impede communication, the limited range and spelling slips place this criterion at a band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as the use of 'so I think i am suitable' and 'which will really help you'. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and punctuation issues throughout the text. Examples include missing capitalization for the pronoun 'i', an awkward comma splice in the opening paragraph, and minor prepositional inaccuracies. Despite these errors, meaning is generally clear and communication is not severely impeded. This profile corresponds well to a band 5.5.

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

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