Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-10

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

A museum near your home is looking for people to do part-time voluntary/unpaid work. You would like to do some voluntary/unpaid work at the museum. Write a letter to the museum director to apply for the voluntary/unpaid work. In your letter

• explain why you want to do voluntary/unpaid work at the museum
• describe some skills and qualities you have that would be useful
• give details of when you would be available for work

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Sir,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am Amritpal Singh and I saw the post in Vancouver sun newspaper in which you wrote that, you are looking for part time volunteer worker. To be honest, I have a keen interest in volunteer activities which rising my skill.

Commencing with the my interest in this activity, from next my next month summer holidays going to starts. So,I will available full-time from next two week. As I have a customer services experience which will be helped a lot in museum. I want to do this unpaid work in order to get new experience that assist in the gaining knowledge and in the long term It would be really helpful.

Turning towards the qualities, I have a certain skill such as be patient, maintain environment, I also has a driver license might be it help in any role. From 21st June I will be ready to start volunteering and my contact information is [redacted email],

I am available to attend the calls from 9am to 7 pm in a week.

Thank you for considering my application and I will look forward for your response.

Regards,

Amrit

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt: explaining your motivation, describing your skills, and providing availability. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention customer service experience, you do not elaborate on how this would specifically benefit a museum environment. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though some phrasing is slightly informal or awkward, such as 'which rising my skill'. To improve, ensure that each point is fully expanded with clear, relevant details that demonstrate a strong understanding of the context of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your ideas. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Commencing with' and 'Turning towards', to transition between topics. However, some of these transitions feel slightly mechanical or unnatural. Additionally, there are issues with referencing and sentence-level cohesion; for example, the sentence 'So,I will available full-time from next two week' lacks a clear connection to the previous thought. Improving the flow between sentences and using a wider variety of linking words would help achieve a higher band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your intentions clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'voluntary', 'customer services', and 'application'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'rising my skill' instead of 'improving my skills' and 'maintain environment' which is vague. There are also minor errors in word formation. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise vocabulary and ensuring that your word choices are natural and contextually appropriate for a formal application letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You demonstrate an ability to use simple sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'from next my next month summer holidays going to starts', 'I will available', and 'I also has a driver license'. These errors, particularly with verb tense, subject-verb agreement, and article usage, are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of control over more complex structures and the persistence of basic errors limit your score. Focusing on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy will significantly improve your writing.

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

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