Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-10

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/Madam,

I am writing to express my interest in teaching your two children the Arabic language.

I have been living and working in Australia for almost a decade. Therefore, I am confident that I can easily communicate with your children in English and teach them my mother tongue language with ease. Additionally, I can further support in household work, such as cooking and cleaning.

Given that I am currently between jobs and my wife hasn't been able to find a job due to the lack of English skills, this necessitates me to work an additional part time job to facilitate and support my family needs.

I am a patient and well educated person. Furthermore, I have been teaching to children during weekend. Thus, I have plenty of experience that will definately be beneficial and helpful to your children.

That said, I readily available at your earliest convenience.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Your Sincerely,

Tamer

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three requested points: you explain your suitability through your English ability and experience teaching children, offer help with cooking and cleaning, and give a personal reason for wanting the work. The letter is relevant and its purpose is clear. However, the reasons for wanting this particular job are less fully developed: the explanation focuses on your family’s financial circumstances rather than what attracts you to teaching the couple’s children or living with the family. Your teaching experience is also mentioned briefly without an example or detail. Develop these points and make the benefits you would bring to the family more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The information is arranged in a generally understandable order, moving from your interest and suitability to household help, your motivation, and your experience. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these points, and expressions such as “Additionally” and “Furthermore” guide the reader. However, the progression is not always smooth: “That said” does not clearly connect to the preceding paragraph, and the final availability statement feels abrupt. Some linking words, including “Therefore,” “Additionally,” and “Thus,” make the connections sound mechanical. Use transitions that show the precise relationship between ideas, and group your teaching qualifications and practical support more deliberately before closing with a clear offer to discuss the role.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the purpose, and phrases such as “express my interest,” “patient,” and “plenty of experience” communicate relevant qualities. You also use some topic-specific language, including “mother tongue” and “household work.” However, several choices are awkward or imprecise, such as “mother tongue language,” “support in household work,” and “facilitate and support my family needs.” “Definately” is also a spelling error, and “Your Sincerely” is an inaccurate letter-closing phrase. These issues do not prevent understanding, but they limit naturalness and precision. Aim for more idiomatic collocations and check spelling and conventional letter expressions before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including the subordinate clause in “Given that I am currently between jobs” and the sentence beginning “Therefore.” Most of the message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors are present. For example, “I have been teaching to children” needs a different verb pattern, and “I readily available” is missing the verb “am.” The phrase “my family needs” also needs a clearer grammatical construction, while “Your Sincerely” has an error in the closing expression. Review verb patterns, ensure every clause has a complete verb, and check sentence endings and punctuation. Greater accuracy in these areas would make the letter more polished.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.