Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-18
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 or Madam,
I am writing this letter to express my intrest of advestisement which i read on newspaper for the post of voluntary worker at the museum. I am recently graduated from unversity of texas with masters of arts. This summer break i am voularable for any social work.
As i had completed my graduation in atrs i am very keen to have practical knowledge of social work,helping visitors ,time and team menagement.i can also lift about 100 pound if there is necessary in museum. I am also co founder of welfer social activity group where i learn so many skills which i can benifited for my better future.I am availabe on week day from 12 to 5 pm .if i can get chance in your museum i will manage about 15 hours per week as unpaid work at your museum.Please informe in week ago so i can manage my vacation time accordingly.
Your's faithfully,
Patel
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt: explaining your motivation, describing your skills, and providing your availability. However, the development of these points is quite basic. For instance, while you mention your degree and your role as a co-founder of a group, these points could be expanded to better explain how they specifically benefit the museum. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though the lack of a clear paragraph structure makes the response feel like a single block of text. To improve, ensure you dedicate a separate paragraph to each bullet point to demonstrate a more structured approach to the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter lacks clear paragraphing, which is essential for a formal letter. While the ideas follow a logical sequence, the transition between them is abrupt. You use some cohesive devices like 'As i had completed' and 'if i can get chance', but these are often used mechanically or with grammatical errors. The lack of clear paragraph breaks makes the text feel cluttered. To reach a higher band, you should use clear paragraphing (an introduction, body paragraphs for each bullet point, and a closing) and a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
Your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, but there are frequent spelling errors such as 'intrest', 'advestisement', 'unversity', 'atrs', 'menagement', 'welfer', and 'benifited'. These errors are noticeable and detract from the professional tone of the letter. You rely on basic vocabulary and struggle with collocations, such as 'informe in week ago'. To improve, you should focus on learning the correct spelling of common professional terms and practice using more precise vocabulary related to volunteering and professional skills to demonstrate a broader range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with articles ('on newspaper'), verb tenses ('I am recently graduated'), and sentence structure. The punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of capital letters and spacing after commas. While you attempt some complex sentences, they are often marred by errors that occasionally impede the flow of reading. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and proofreading for common errors like missing articles and incorrect verb forms. Increasing your control over simple structures will provide a stronger foundation for more complex ones.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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