Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-09

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 hope you are doing well. I recently came across your advertisement about a part-time volunteer opportunity at your museum. I am interested to apply for the same.

To begin with, I would like to explain that, I just finished third year in my bachelor's degree in archaeology at University of Toronto and will be graduating next year. Rightnow, it is summer break and I would love to gain some useful experience during my free time. I have basic organisational skills from my studies, along with my personal interest in discovering historical items. I have attached my resume with this letter, showcasing my skills, projects and published research papers.

Currently, I am working part-time as research assistance along with my professor at university, so I am available only during weekends.

I am looking forward to discuss further on the opportunity. Let me know if any additional information is required.

Yours faithfully

John Doe

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain your motivation for volunteering, describe your relevant background in archaeology, and specify your availability. The tone is appropriate for a formal application. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on how your specific skills—such as your research experience—would directly benefit the museum's daily operations. For example, mentioning how you could assist with cataloging or public engagement would make your application more persuasive and demonstrate a deeper engagement with the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your ideas easily. You use basic cohesive devices like 'To begin with' and 'Currently' to transition between points. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that the flow between sentences is smoother. For instance, the transition between your academic background and your current availability could be more fluidly connected to create a more cohesive narrative.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms like 'archaeology', 'organisational skills', and 'published research papers'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as 'interested to apply for the same' (which is slightly unnatural) and 'research assistance' (should be 'research assistant'). To achieve a higher score, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive or overly simple phrasing. Expanding your vocabulary to include more sophisticated professional terminology would enhance the overall quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is generally effective. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'I just finished third year' (missing an article), 'Rightnow' (spelling error), and 'working part-time as research assistance' (incorrect noun form). Additionally, the sentence 'I am looking forward to discuss further' should be 'I am looking forward to discussing further'. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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