Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-15

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 7.0)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter to express my interest in voluntary role at your prestigious museum which is near my house.

My motivation to apply for this opportunity stems from my keen interest in history. I am doing masters in history and I believe by contributing to the museum, I will get deeper knowledge about the various historical and cultural artifacts that your museum houses.

I have completed my graduation in history and accounting, so I can assist in maintaining the museum's accounts. Additionally, my public speaking skills will enable me to effectively guide and assist visitors within the museum.

I am available for the entire month of September due to my vacation, which ends in mid-October. Therefore, I can contribute to the museum for the whole month of September.

I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how I can contribute to your museum.

Yours Sincerely,

Tom

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain your motivation (interest in history and academic background), outline relevant skills (accounting and public speaking), and specify your availability (the month of September). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of application, and the purpose is clear from the outset. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the context of a museum volunteer position. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on how your specific accounting skills might benefit the museum's operations, adding more depth to your contribution.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the task, which aids readability. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Additionally' and 'Therefore' to link your sentences effectively. However, the transition between the introduction and the body paragraphs could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the overall structure is easy to follow. To improve, try incorporating a wider variety of cohesive devices to connect your ideas more fluidly rather than relying on standard sentence starters.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'prestigious museum', 'historical and cultural artifacts', and 'contribute to the museum' are well-chosen and appropriate for the context. There are no significant errors in word choice that impede communication. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, it is somewhat standard. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items related to the museum or professional volunteering context, such as 'curatorial assistance' or 'administrative support'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You show good control over basic grammar, and your sentences are generally error-free. There is a minor article omission in the first sentence ('in voluntary role' should be 'in a voluntary role') and a slight redundancy in the final paragraph regarding the dates. However, these errors are infrequent and do not hinder the reader's understanding. To improve, try to vary your sentence length and structure further, perhaps by using more complex subordinate clauses to demonstrate greater grammatical flexibility.

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

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