Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-12

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 am writing this letter to inform you that i am intersted in doing voluntary work for museum . My name is Tanvi Chadha , i works in Walmart company in Vuaghan.

So, since my childhood i want to do something for society . I believe, this is my oppurtunity where i could help people in museum . I am responsible and calm person ,and i would love to help others. I think during busy time in museum i can help people if they have questions.

As i mentioned i works in Walmart but i am available to do unpaid work during my weekends with this i can utilise my free time in productive way for society.

Looking forward to geeting a prompt response from you regarding this matter.

Yours faithful,

Tanvi Chadha

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the motivation for volunteering, personal skills, and availability. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which limits the development of ideas. For instance, the explanation of why you want to volunteer is quite brief and lacks depth. To improve, you should expand on your personal connection to the museum or the specific impact you hope to make. Because the response is under-length, it does not fully satisfy the requirements of the task, resulting in a lower score for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical structure with a clear opening and closing. Paragraphing is used to separate the different points requested in the prompt. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and mechanical. Phrases like 'So, since my childhood' and 'with this i can' feel somewhat disjointed. To achieve a higher band, you should use a wider variety of linking words and transition phrases to create a smoother flow between sentences and paragraphs, rather than relying on simple sentence structures.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is generally adequate for a simple letter but lacks the range and precision expected at higher levels. There are several spelling errors, such as 'intersted', 'oppurtunity', and 'geeting', which detract from the professional tone required for a formal application. Additionally, the word choice is somewhat repetitive. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to professional environments and volunteering, and ensure you proofread carefully to eliminate basic spelling mistakes that could have been avoided.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('i works', 'i want to do') and punctuation errors, such as the incorrect placement of spaces before commas. The use of 'i' instead of the capitalized 'I' is a consistent error that affects the formality of the writing. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and ensure that all sentences are punctuated correctly. Increasing the variety of complex structures will also help improve your score.

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.