Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-05

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 or Madam,

I hope you are doing well. I writing this letter for apply the voluntary unpaid job at your museum.

First of all, I really like to learn or teach people about history. From very long time I want to join museum. Moreover, It also help to enhance my knowledge and beneficial for my future job because I also write this voluntarier in my resume.

In addition, I also good in communication. It feel free to talk with random people due to great knowledge past historic event. It easier for me to explain to the individual who came to museum for learn something.

At the late, I availble in weekdays because of my summer holiday from my schools I can do this work without any problem.

I Looking forward for your respond as soon as possible.

Your faithfully

Robin Sigh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: the reason for applying, skills/qualities, and availability. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the task achievement score. The ideas are present but remain somewhat underdeveloped; for instance, the explanation of why you want to volunteer is quite brief. To improve, you should expand on your passion for history and provide more specific details about your availability or the types of tasks you would be interested in performing. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though the brevity prevents a fully developed response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. You use basic linking words like 'First of all', 'Moreover', and 'In addition' to connect your ideas. However, the flow is sometimes interrupted by grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'At the late'. The transition between sentences is occasionally mechanical. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices and ensure that your sentences flow more naturally into one another. The paragraphing is clear, but the overall progression of ideas could be smoother.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task but remains quite basic. You use some relevant terms like 'voluntary', 'resume', and 'communication', but there are noticeable errors in word choice and word formation, such as 'voluntarier' instead of 'volunteer' and 'historic event' instead of 'historical events'. The range is limited, and you rely on simple structures to express your ideas. To improve, try to incorporate more precise vocabulary related to museum work and professional correspondence, and pay closer attention to word forms and collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There is a mix of simple and some attempted complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. Frequent errors in verb tense and sentence construction, such as 'I writing this letter for apply' (should be 'I am writing this letter to apply') and 'It feel free to talk' (should be 'I feel comfortable talking'), impede the clarity of your message. Punctuation and article usage are also problematic throughout the text. To improve, focus on mastering basic subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions and infinitives. Proofreading for these common errors is essential.

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

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