Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-28

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 writing this letter to express my interest in the opportunity of doing volunteer work at our local museum. I am keen interested in the art, culture or history. Because it provides plethora of information about the hidden mysteries inside the every art.

As I have recently graduated from college with three years of degree in history. I think i can provide excellent service to visitors especially those who come from abroad and want to know about the history behind each article or artwork. I can provide excellent service by explaining each and every thing in detail and by providing excellent customer service.

I am available from Monday to Friday from 9:00AM to 4:00PM. I am waiting to hear back from you regarding this opportunity. Thank you so much for your valuable time.

Your sincerely,

Sukhwinder Kaur.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: motivation, skills, and availability. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The explanation of why you want to volunteer is brief, and the description of skills could be more detailed to fully address the prompt. Because the response is under-length, it fails to fully develop the required points, leading to a lower score in this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a standard structure with a clear opening and closing. Paragraphing is used, though the paragraphs are quite short. Cohesive devices are limited; for example, the use of 'Because' at the start of a sentence is grammatically incorrect and creates a fragmented flow. The progression of ideas is logical, but the overall cohesion is somewhat mechanical and lacks the sophisticated linking required for higher bands.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'plethora' and 'opportunity'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'keen interested' (should be 'keenly interested') and 'three years of degree' (should be 'a three-year degree'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, it lacks the precision and flexibility needed for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are several grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'I writing' (should be 'I am writing'), 'inside the every art' (incorrect article usage), and 'Your sincerely' (should be 'Yours sincerely'). You rely mostly on simple sentence structures. While you attempt some complex sentences, they often contain errors that slightly impede the flow. Improving subject-verb agreement and article usage will significantly enhance your accuracy.

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

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