Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-29

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 am writing this letter to express my interest in volunteering part-time in our city museum.

The primary reason is to work in museum is my interest in antique things and with that I can stay more close to history. Moreover, I am retired from a government job and I have plenty of free time and the museum is very close to my house so it is convenient for me to commute there by walk and that makes this place best for me to volunteer work.

I am postgraduate in history and a retired history professor. I am very well aware how to preserve and take care of old pieces of art and sculptures. I have travelled numerous historical sites and museums in different parts of the world and have learned about their work culture. I would love to share my experience and knowledge for the betterment of our city museum.

As I mentioned earlier I am retired and I am available most of the time on Monday to Saturday during working hours. I cannot work on Sunday because I spend my every Sunday in church with my wife and we do their charity work there by providing food to needy people.

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards,

Jassmeet Singh,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain your motivation for volunteering, detail your relevant background as a history professor, and provide specific availability. The tone is appropriate for a formal application. To reach a higher band, ensure that your ideas are fully developed; for instance, while you mention your background, you could briefly elaborate on how your specific experience with 'sculptures' or 'art' would directly benefit the museum's current operations. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets all requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each requirement, and a polite closing. Each paragraph has a central theme, which helps the reader follow your points easily. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'As I mentioned earlier' to link ideas. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that transitions between sentences are smoother. At times, the connection between sentences feels slightly mechanical, but the overall structure is coherent and easy to follow throughout the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'postgraduate', 'preserve', and 'betterment'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'antique things' (better as 'antiquities' or 'historical artifacts') and 'by walk' (which should be 'on foot'). While you successfully convey your meaning, the vocabulary is somewhat functional. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common lexical items that are appropriate for a formal letter of application to demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I am retired from a government job' (should be 'I have retired'), 'I am postgraduate' (missing an article: 'I am a postgraduate'), and 'I spend my every Sunday' (should be 'I spend every Sunday'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. To achieve a higher band, you should aim for greater accuracy in your verb tenses and article usage, and try to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures with more consistent control.

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

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