Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-13

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 Director,

I am writing this letter to apply for a voluntary work in the museum.

I have finished my second semester and on break. I am look for work for gaining experience for near future so my friend suggest me about the job opening as a voluntary work in museum.

I have a lot of interest in art and ascent related things. I am good at maintaining things and have a sharp mind to learn or adapted environment. I am very co operative and helpful as well as good in communication. I also know how to use Microsoft 360 product like word or excel which will have beneficial for the museum. I have work every where as it belong to me so there is no question about complain.

I am available from next week for two months and willing to so work as you pleased.

I am waiting for your feedback and ready for work for you.

Your faithfully,

sukhvir

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the reason for volunteering, relevant skills, and availability. However, the development of these points is somewhat superficial. For instance, the explanation of why you want to volunteer is brief, and the description of skills is slightly vague, such as 'maintaining things' and 'ascent related things' (likely meaning 'ancient'). While the task is fulfilled, the tone is not consistently professional, and some parts, like 'I have work every where as it belong to me', are unclear and do not effectively communicate your suitability for the role.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into short paragraphs, which is appropriate for a formal letter. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is very limited; sentences are often linked in a mechanical way, and some transitions are missing or awkward, such as the sudden shift between discussing skills and availability. The opening and closing salutations are present, but the overall flow lacks the sophistication required for higher bands. Improving the use of linking words would significantly enhance the readability of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and sometimes inaccurate. There are several instances of word-choice errors, such as 'ascent related things' instead of 'ancient artifacts' or 'historical items', and 'Microsoft 360' instead of 'Microsoft 365'. Phrases like 'I am look for work' and 'have a sharp mind to learn or adapted environment' show a lack of control over word forms and collocations. While the meaning is generally understandable, the range is limited, and the errors occasionally distract the reader from the intended message.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('my friend suggest me'), incorrect verb tenses ('I have finished... and on break'), and missing articles. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly in the closing. While the errors do not completely prevent communication, they are frequent enough to impact the clarity of your writing. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction and ensuring consistent verb tense usage.

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

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