Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-20

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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to apply for a part-time volunteer position at the museum. I would like to volunteer as I am enrolled in a university pursuing a PhD in History. Any hours working at the museum work would prove beneficial for me as this would allow me to learn and know numerous articles of history.

I want to contribute a lot to the museum through my interpersonal skills and an immense knowledge of history. I have been taking part in history exhibitions where I introduce guests and students to myriad articles of ancient history. In addition to this, I have exceptional organising skills that would definitely allow me to contribute a lot to the tidiness of the museum.

I would gladly like to start this work by the forthcoming week. The museum is not far from my residence allowing me a congenial commute via public transit.

I hope to hear from you soon.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully covers all three bullet points outlined in the prompt. First, the candidate explains the motivation for volunteering by stating they are pursuing a PhD in History and wish to gain practical exposure. Second, they describe relevant skills and qualities, specifically mentioning interpersonal skills, extensive history knowledge, and exceptional organising abilities. Third, they clearly detail their availability by stating they can start the forthcoming week. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter, and all ideas are adequately extended and supported. The purpose of the letter is clear throughout, meeting all requirements for a solid band 7 level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organised with a clear beginning, body paragraphs addressing specific prompts, and a polite closing. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different topics, such as motivations, skills, and availability. Cohesive devices are employed reasonably well, with phrases like 'In addition to this' and 'allowing me' ensuring smooth transitions between sentences. However, referencing and cohesion occasionally feel slightly mechanical, and the paragraph progression could be more tightly woven. Overall, the arrangement is coherent and easy to follow, supporting a band 7 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task with some attempts at less common items, such as 'interpersonal skills', 'residence', and 'congenial commute'. There are minor awkwardness issues in word choice and collocation, such as 'know numerous articles of history' and 'tidiness of the museum', which sound a bit unnatural compared to 'artifacts' or 'cleanliness'. Nevertheless, the vocabulary is adequate to convey the intended message clearly without impeding communication, placing the response comfortably within the band 6 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including participial phrases like 'allowing me a congenial commute via public transit'. There are a few minor grammatical lapses and punctuation oversights, such as the missing comma in 'work would prove beneficial for me as this would allow me' and minor redundancies like 'working at the museum work'. However, these errors do not impede communication, and the majority of sentences are clear and grammatically sound. This demonstrates good control of grammar, aligning well with the band 7 descriptors.

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

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