Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to express my strong interest in doing volunteer work at your historical museum.

I have always been interested in arts, culture and history. By joining your esteemed museum, I would definitely have the chance to learn more about the ancient items including but not limited to heritage sculptures, ancient artifacts and maps. This exposure will definitely enhance my understanding of history and evolution as well.

I possess adequate record keeping and inventory management skills which could be beneficial for administration of museum. Moreover, I have a strong understanding of history and evolution which can be useful for undertaking any research work as well.

I will be available for volunteer work throughout the week from 3:00 PM onwards and will serve under your kind supervision.

I will be highly obliged for this opportunity and looking forward to your kind response.

Yours sincerely,

Zia

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain your motivation for volunteering, describe your relevant skills in inventory management and research, and specify your availability. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a director. The ideas are relevant and logically developed, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.0. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly more on how your specific skills would contribute to the museum's daily operations, providing a more concrete link between your background and the museum's needs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the task, which aids readability. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'By joining your esteemed museum,' which help the flow of ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother to improve the overall progression. The use of paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the logical sequence of information is easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a formal application, such as 'esteemed,' 'adequate,' and 'inventory management.' There is an attempt to use less common collocations, which is positive. However, some phrasing is slightly repetitive, such as the use of 'definitely' twice in the same paragraph. Additionally, 'administration of museum' is missing an article ('the'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and precisely, increasing the variety of your descriptive language would help you move into the higher band range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most sentences are error-free, and your control of grammar is generally strong. There are minor slips, such as 'administration of museum' (missing 'the') and 'looking forward' (should be 'I am looking forward'). These errors are infrequent and do not impede communication. To achieve a higher score, ensure consistent use of articles and check for subject-verb agreement in more complex sentences. Overall, the grammatical control is solid and supports the formal tone of the letter well.

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

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