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.
I am writing this letter to you because i want to do part-time as a voluntary because i watched poster on my neighbour wall about you need a worker for museum.
I justify to you why i want to do unpaid work at the museum. I am interested to do help for needy people also i can gain my learning skills and explore new things about the museum.
I would like said that about my skills an qualities which i can use inside the museum. First of all ,I can communicate different languages such as Hindi ,Punjabi, French and English also i can explain the history of all pictures which is hangout on the walls of museum.
Moreover , i will be available on Saturday evening 5pm to 8pm and Sunday 11am to 4pm for work . I really appreciate to you if you will give me opporunity for unpaid work .
Kind regards.
Rajveer kaur.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The letter covers all three bullet points: the reason for volunteering, relevant skills, and availability. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For example, the explanation of why you want to volunteer is a bit vague, mentioning 'needy people' which is not typically relevant to a museum context. The tone is also inconsistent; while it attempts a formal structure, the phrasing is often informal or unnatural, such as 'I justify to you why' or 'I would like said that'. To improve, ensure your reasons are more specific to the museum environment and maintain a consistently professional tone throughout the letter.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. Phrases like 'I justify to you why' and 'I would like said that' disrupt the flow of the text. Additionally, the transition between sentences is sometimes abrupt. While there is a logical progression from the introduction to the skills and finally the availability, the lack of sophisticated linking words makes the writing feel somewhat disjointed. Improving the variety and accuracy of your transition signals would significantly enhance the overall coherence of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'watched poster' instead of 'saw a poster' and 'hangout on the walls' instead of 'hanging on the walls'. The range of vocabulary is limited, relying on simple, repetitive structures. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise terminology related to museum work and avoid literal translations that result in unnatural collocations. Expanding your range to include more topic-specific vocabulary would help convey your message more effectively and professionally.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, including issues with verb tenses, articles, and sentence structure. For instance, 'i want to do part-time as a voluntary' is grammatically incorrect; it should be 'I would like to do part-time voluntary work'. The use of 'i' instead of the capitalized 'I' is a recurring error. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors is high. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and consistent capitalization. Incorporating a wider variety of complex sentence structures while ensuring accuracy will also help raise your score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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