Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-19

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 7.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing regarding the part-time opportunity at the museum. I would like to apply for this voluntary work.

Currently, I am a high school student, and I am really interested in history. I believe this placement would allow me to gain valuable knowledge that will be useful for my future career. Also, working at the museum would give me an opportunity for deep intellectual engagement, hands-on interaction with unique historical artifacts.

I think I am a suitable candidate as I have strong soft and hard skills. In particular, I am good at critical thinking and reading, deep research, and source evaluation. In my opinion, these skills are essential for someone whose work is related to history.

I am very excited for this opportunity, and I would like to let you know my availability. I am usually free after my classes every day except for weekends. Therefore, I am available to do the voluntary work any weekday from 3 p.m. to 10p.m.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I look forward to your response.

Kind regards,

Elena

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained your motivation for volunteering, highlighted relevant skills such as critical thinking and research, and provided specific availability. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a museum director. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific examples of how your skills might be applied in a museum setting, such as assisting with cataloging or guiding visitors, which would further develop your ideas and demonstrate a deeper understanding of the role.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is well-organized with a clear logical progression. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the task, which makes the information easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'In particular,' 'Therefore,' and 'Also' to link your ideas effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter. To improve, you could vary your sentence transitions further to avoid a slightly mechanical feel, ensuring that the flow between sentences feels more natural and sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for the context, such as 'intellectual engagement,' 'historical artifacts,' and 'source evaluation.' Your word choice is generally precise and fits the formal tone of the application. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more idiomatic or less common collocations related to professional environments, such as 'contribute to the museum's mission' or 'demonstrate a proactive approach,' which would elevate the sophistication of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

Your grammar is generally accurate, and you demonstrate control over a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. For example, the sentence 'I believe this placement would allow me to gain valuable knowledge that will be useful for my future career' is well-constructed. Punctuation is used correctly throughout the letter. While your writing is clear, you could aim to include a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice constructions, to demonstrate a more flexible command of English grammar.

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

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