Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-22

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'm writing you this letter in regard to the voluntary job posting at our local museum. Recently, I saw your unpaid job posting in the newspaper, and I'm interested in doing this community service.

The reasons I want to do this service are, firstly, that I'm on vacation and want to make the best use of my leisure time. Secondly, I'm fond of ancient things, and by doing this public service, I will have an opportunity to learn more about unique and ancient things.

The skills I have that can be useful in your service are communication skills, leadership skills, adaptability, and a positive attitude

I'm attaching my complete resume for your convenience, and my availability is mornings on weekdays and evenings on weekends.

Waiting for a positive reply. Thank you.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: the reason for volunteering, relevant skills, and availability. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of your ideas. For example, the explanation of your skills is merely a list without any elaboration or context. To reach a higher band, you should expand on how your communication or leadership skills would specifically benefit the museum. Because the response is under-length, it fails to fully develop the required points, resulting in a lower score for task achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'firstly' and 'secondly' to sequence your reasons. However, the paragraphing is somewhat disjointed due to the brevity of the sentences. The transition between the introduction and the body could be smoother. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that you use a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly throughout the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. You rely on simple phrases like 'ancient things' and 'voluntary job'. While these are accurate, they lack the precision and variety expected at higher levels. There is little attempt to use less common lexical items or idiomatic language. To improve, try to incorporate more specific vocabulary related to museum work, such as 'exhibits', 'curatorial', or 'visitor engagement'. Expanding your range of synonyms will help you express your ideas with more sophistication and clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I'm writing you this letter in regard to...' and 'The reasons I want to do this service are...'. While your meaning is generally clear, there are some minor errors in punctuation and phrasing, such as the missing period after 'attitude'. The grammar is functional, but the range is limited. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more varied sentence structures, such as conditional sentences or relative clauses, and ensure your punctuation is consistently accurate throughout the text.

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

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