Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to express my interest in joining the museum for voluntary work.

I would love to join part-time unpaid position in the museum because I live close to the museum and like to serve the local community in my summer break.

I have experience of customer service, because last year, I worked at Starbucks as a cashier. So, I could help you at one of your ticket counters. Additionally, I also have experience of traffic control. So, I could also be a traffic controller in your parking lot.

If you would like me to join the museum, I am available from next Monday. I have my summer break from June 1 to September 30. I am available to do any shift during the weekdays and am not able to join during weekends, because of my soccer matches.

I would be very grateful if you could consider my request. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Davis Will

Advice for Next Attemp

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain your motivation for volunteering, describe relevant skills (customer service and traffic control), and provide specific availability dates. The tone is appropriate for a formal application. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on how your specific skills would benefit the museum's operations, rather than just stating them. For example, explaining how your experience at Starbucks helps you handle busy periods would add depth to your ideas. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets all requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each requirement, and a formal closing. Each paragraph focuses on a single topic, which makes the letter easy to follow. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Additionally' and 'So' to link ideas. However, the use of 'So' is slightly repetitive and informal for a formal letter. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words and phrases, such as 'Furthermore,' 'Consequently,' or 'In addition to this,' to create a more sophisticated flow between your sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'voluntary work,' 'local community,' and 'customer service.' The language is generally accurate and appropriate for the context. However, the vocabulary is somewhat basic and relies on simple phrasing. To achieve a higher score, you should incorporate more precise or academic vocabulary. For instance, instead of saying 'I would love to join,' you could use 'I am keen to contribute to.' Similarly, replacing 'help you' with 'assist your staff' would elevate the tone of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, and your grammar is generally accurate, which ensures your message is clear. There are no major errors that impede communication. However, the sentence structures are somewhat repetitive, often starting with 'I' or 'So.' To improve, try varying your sentence beginnings and incorporating more complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences (e.g., 'Should you require further information, I would be happy to provide it') or relative clauses. This would demonstrate greater control and flexibility in your writing.

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.