Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-11

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 Director,

I am writing to inform you that I am willing to do part-time volunteer work at your museum because I am free this summer, and I am also looking for some work in which I can gain some experience.

Firstly, I recently completed my senior secondary education, and now I am planning to go abroad for my higher studies. Moreover, I have sufficient time at home, and I have nothing to do because I am waiting for my result. That is the reason I think it is a good option to apply for voluntary work. Apart from that, I also like to learn something new, mostly related to cultures and traditions, and this museum is particularly based on this thing which I love a lot.

Secondly, last summer vacation I also worked as a cashier in a grocery store, where my main responsibility was to talk with customer, provide them with great customer service so that they felt friendly and happy. Furthermore, according to me I have the qualities that you are looking for in this particular job.

Finally, I am available from next week because right now I am at my aunt's house, and I will come back on Sunday. I am available full-time, not only on Wednesdays, because every Wednesday I go to worship.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind Regards,

Sargun

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain your motivation for volunteering, describe your previous experience as a cashier, and provide your availability. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, although the opening 'Dear Director' is slightly less standard than the requested 'Dear Sir or Madam'. The ideas are relevant and developed sufficiently to meet the task requirements. To improve, ensure you follow the specific instructions regarding the opening salutation provided in the prompt, and try to expand slightly more on how your specific skills (such as communication) would translate to a museum environment.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with clear paragraphing. You use transition signals such as 'Firstly', 'Moreover', 'Apart from that', and 'Finally' to guide the reader through your points. While some of these transitions are a bit mechanical, they serve their purpose effectively. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from your motivation to your skills and finally to your availability. To reach a higher band, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the transition between sentences feels more natural rather than relying on a list-like structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'voluntary work', 'higher studies', and 'responsibility'. However, the vocabulary is somewhat basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'I have nothing to do' or 'this thing which I love a lot' are informal and lack precision. To improve, aim for more sophisticated collocations and academic or professional vocabulary. For example, instead of saying you have 'nothing to do', you could state that you have 'a significant amount of spare time' or 'a period of transition'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'talk with customer' (should be 'customers'), 'provide them with great customer service so that they felt friendly' (should be 'so that they feel welcome'), and 'according to me' (which is non-standard; 'in my opinion' or 'I believe' is better). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and using more precise prepositional phrases to enhance the accuracy of your complex sentences.

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

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