Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-11
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 5.0)
Hy sir,
I hope you are doing well. I live near to the museum and I got to know that there is part- time voluntary work is going on and people are needed for that I am writing this letter to inform you that I am interested in this position and would like to join as I am a full time student but now I am on my summer break and only doing part- time job and I am free for 2 to 3 days. I do have experience in cleaning and also talk with people about the history and cultural aspects as in past I worked for heritage museum. I am open for all types of positions because I want to learn more about museum work I would like to join this week if there is any position available for me. Looking forward hear from you.
Thank you.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The letter addresses all three bullet points: the reason for wanting to volunteer, relevant skills, and availability. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum, which impacts the overall development of ideas. The tone is inconsistent; while it begins with a formal salutation, the opening 'Hy sir' is informal and inappropriate for a formal application. The ideas are relevant but lack depth; for instance, the description of skills is quite brief. To improve, you should expand on your previous experience at the heritage museum and provide a more professional closing statement. The failure to meet the minimum word count requirement is a significant factor in this score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The letter lacks clear paragraphing, which is essential for a formal letter. It is presented as a single block of text, making it difficult to follow the progression of ideas. While there is a basic logical flow from the introduction to the specific requirements, the lack of cohesive devices (such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in addition') makes the writing feel disjointed. The sentences are often run-on, lacking proper punctuation to separate distinct thoughts. To improve, you must use clear paragraph breaks for each bullet point and incorporate transition words to link your sentences more effectively.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is functional but limited and repetitive. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'I am writing this letter to inform you' and 'I am interested in this position'. There is little attempt to use more sophisticated or topic-specific vocabulary related to museum work or volunteering. Some word choices are slightly awkward, such as 'I got to know that there is part-time voluntary work is going on'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise collocations and a wider range of vocabulary appropriate for a formal business context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains several grammatical errors that affect readability. There are issues with sentence structure, such as run-on sentences ('I am a full time student but now I am on my summer break and only doing part-time job and I am free for 2 to 3 days'). There are also errors in article usage and verb tense consistency. Punctuation is largely absent, with missing commas and periods, which makes the text difficult to parse. You should focus on using a mix of simple and complex sentences and ensure that each sentence is grammatically complete with correct punctuation.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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