Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-08

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 5.0)

Dear sir,

I am going to write about doing voluntary work in your museum. Last week, I saw your news in the newspaper that you are looking for people to do part-time unpaid work. so i want to apply for this job. Actually, i want to do unpaid work as a part-time because with this i help can people other people and also i think by doing this job i get more experience. Moreover, I have customer service experience and also i have a lots of knowledge about art, painting and so on because i am also keen interested in art. As well as, i want to increase by knowledge by doing work in your museum. I am available Friday and Sunday during day time. I am writing for your response i hope you accept my application.

Your faithfully,

Arshpreet Kaur.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the reason for volunteering, relevant skills, and availability. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of ideas. The explanation of why you want to volunteer is somewhat repetitive, and the description of skills could be more detailed to fully satisfy the task requirements. To improve, ensure you expand on your points—for example, by explaining how your customer service experience specifically applies to a museum setting. Because the response is under-length, it cannot reach the higher bands.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is short and lacks clear paragraphing, which is essential for a formal letter. While there is a basic logical progression, the use of cohesive devices is limited and sometimes mechanical (e.g., 'Moreover', 'As well as'). The flow between sentences is occasionally disjointed, and the lack of a clear structure makes the letter feel like a single block of text rather than a well-organized piece of correspondence. Improving the use of linking words and separating the introduction, body, and conclusion into distinct paragraphs would significantly enhance the coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is functional but basic. There are several inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'keen interested' (should be 'keenly interested') and 'increase by knowledge' (should be 'increase my knowledge'). The range of vocabulary is limited, relying on simple, repetitive structures. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to use more precise terminology related to volunteering and professional environments, and ensure that your word forms are accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors that affect the formal tone. There are issues with sentence structure, such as 'I am going to write about doing voluntary work' (which is unnecessary in a formal application) and 'with this i help can people other people'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing capital letters for 'i' and incorrect closing salutations ('Your faithfully' should be 'Yours faithfully'). The range of structures is limited to simple sentences. Increasing the use of complex sentences and proofreading for basic errors would improve this score.

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

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