Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-02

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 Museum Director,

I am Amritbir Kaur, a resident of Jaandiala Guru, Amritsar. I am writing to request approval for voluntary work in the museum for experience of a better job opportunity.

I am a student of history and am also interested in the culture and traditions of historical events. This would be a marvelous chance for me to learn more about the interesting books and stories available related to the subjects in the museum.

In addition, I am professional at organization and communication skills, which are required to provide customer service.

Furthermore, I am mostly available on Thursdays and Fridays, as well as after classes. You can call anytime during my availability. you also mention in

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your prompt response.

your faithful,

Amrit

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 instance, your explanation of why you want to volunteer is quite brief, and your description of skills could be expanded with specific examples of how you have applied these in the past. To improve, you should elaborate on your interest in history and provide more context regarding your availability to ensure you meet the length requirement and provide a more comprehensive response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical structure with a clear opening and closing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'In addition' and 'Furthermore' to link your ideas. However, the paragraphing is somewhat disjointed, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. There is also a sentence fragment at the end of the third paragraph ('you also mention in') which disrupts the coherence of the text. To improve, ensure that every sentence is complete and use a wider variety of linking words to connect your thoughts more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You use some appropriate vocabulary, such as 'marvelous chance', 'voluntary work', and 'consideration'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are some awkward collocations. For example, saying you are 'professional at organization' is not standard English; 'possess strong organizational skills' would be more natural. Additionally, the phrase 'experience of a better job opportunity' is slightly unclear. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise professional terminology would help you achieve a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'I am professional at organization' and the incomplete sentence 'you also mention in'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the closing 'your faithful,' is incorrect; it should be 'Yours faithfully,'. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that all sentences are complete and grammatically sound. Proofreading for minor slips will also help increase your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.