Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-15

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 7.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to enquire about a voluntary position at the local Art and Music museum.

Firstly, I really need this part-time position because I am planning to apply for the civil services. Having voluntary experience will not only improve my chances of being shortlisted but also strengthen my CV. Additionally, I would like to do this voluntary work to contribute to my community just like my father as he is also doing unpaid work at your museum.

I have great communication, problem-solving, leadership, and teamwork skills that are essential in every workplace. Moreover, since I have 6 months of work experience from a previous employer at the historical museum, I believe it will elevate my application for voluntary work at the museum.

I am available every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday since I am getting training from a former civil officer from Thursday to Sunday. In terms of timings, I am flexible to do any of the mornings or evening shifts.

I hope you will consider my application and I am looking forward to your response.

Yours faithfully,

Navjot Kaur.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The candidate has fully addressed all parts of the task prompt. The letter opens with a clear statement of purpose explaining why the writer wants to do voluntary work at the museum, specifically mentioning the desire to strengthen a CV for civil services and to contribute to the community following their father's example. Secondly, useful skills and qualities such as communication, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork, and six months of previous historical museum experience are clearly described. Finally, specific details regarding work availability (every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in either morning or evening shifts) are explicitly provided. All bullet points are thoroughly developed, and the tone is appropriately formal and polite for a job application letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter exhibits clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving smoothly from the opening purpose into the reasons for applying, followed by personal skills and experience, and concluding with availability and a polite sign-off. Cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Additionally', 'Moreover', and 'In terms of timings' are used effectively to guide the reader through the text. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, and referencing is clear throughout, making the letter easy to follow and cohesive.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The writer demonstrates a sufficient and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for a formal application letter. Phrases such as 'enquire about', 'improve my chances of being shortlisted', and 'elevate my application' show a good awareness of formal style and collocation. There are some slightly awkward phrasings, such as 'Art and Music museum' or 'getting training', but these do not impede communication. The vocabulary is varied and functional, successfully conveying the intended meaning with reasonable precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response contains a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as concessive and relative clauses ('Having voluntary experience will not only improve my chances... but also strengthen my CV' and 'skills... that are essential in every workplace'). The majority of sentences are grammatically sound and punctuation is handled well. There are occasional minor infelicities, such as 'a former civil officer' where 'civil servant' might be more natural, but grammatical accuracy is generally high and errors do not impede communication at any point.

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

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