Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-12
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,
I AM WRITING THIS LETTER REGARDING TO THE JOB FOR WHICH YOU ARE LOOKING ANYONE TO DO IT VOLUNTARILY.
SINCE I LIVES AROUND THE ZOO AREA , I WANT TO DO THIS TASKS FOR YOU. THOUGH I AM STUDYING , AFTER COLLEGE HOURS I FIND MYSELF LAZY WITHOUT ANY TASK. I ALSO WANTED TO EXPERIENCE SOMETHING NEW.
I HAVE VERY GOOD SKILL TO COP-UP WITH THE ANIMALS AS I LOVE ANIMALS AND OWNED THEM TOO.MOREOVER , I WILL BE BETTER VOLUNTEER FOR YOUR ANIMAL PARK BECAUSE I WORKED AS A CLEANER IN MANY AREAS AND HOTELS. I DONE SOME GARDENING JOBS SO I CAN DO THE GARDENING AS WELL FOR YOUR PLACE.
SINCE, MY COLLEGE TIMING IS 9.00 TO 1.00 IN THE MORNING , I WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR WORK IN EVENING 5.00 TO 7.00.
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO DO THAT JOB IF YOU CONSIDER IT AND AGREE TO HIRE ME AS A UNPAID WORKER IN YOUR PLACE.
YOURS FAITHFULLY,
MUSTAKIM.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The candidate has addressed all parts of the task prompt reasonably well, although there is a slight confusion regarding the prompt's setting, as the student writes about a 'zoo' and an 'animal park' instead of a museum. Despite this misunderstanding of the specific venue, all bullet points are covered: the reason for wanting to do voluntary work is explained (wanting to experience something new and combat laziness), useful skills and qualities are provided (experience with animals, cleaning, and gardening), and availability is given (evenings from 5.00 to 7.00). The ideas are generally relevant and clear, though they are somewhat simple and lack deeper development. Because the candidate successfully covers all required prompts, this performance aligns well with Band 5.5 to 6.0 descriptors.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter has a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical structure typical of a formal request letter, opening with a greeting and closing with a sign-off. Paragraphing is utilised to separate distinct points, such as reasons, skills, and availability. However, cohesion at the sentence level is occasionally mechanical or faulty. For instance, the transition 'SINCE, MY COLLEGE TIMING IS...' shows awkward punctuation and spacing, and referencing is sometimes repetitive. Furthermore, the use of uppercase letters throughout the text creates a jarring visual presentation that slightly detracts from formal cohesion. Overall, the organization is sufficient for a Band 5.5 score.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The lexical range is limited and adequate for the task. The student attempts some less common vocabulary, such as 'VOLUNTARILY', 'EXPERIENCE', and 'GARDENING', but these are offset by frequent word choice errors and unnatural phrasing. Examples include 'REGARDING TO THE JOB', 'WHICH YOU ARE LOOKING ANYONE TO DO IT', 'I LIVES', and 'COP-UP WITH THE ANIMALS'. These errors occasionally cause strain for the reader, although communication is generally maintained. The vocabulary control fits comfortably within the Band 5.0 descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The candidate demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as the conditional-style structure in 'IF YOU CONSIDER IT AND AGREE TO HIRE ME'. However, grammatical accuracy is weak, featuring frequent errors in tense, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions. Notable errors include 'SINCE I LIVES' (subject-verb agreement), 'I DONE SOME GARDENING JOBS' (missing auxiliary verb), and awkward punctuation spacing. While some sentences are accurate, the high frequency of basic grammatical errors places this response at Band 5.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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