Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-07

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 4.5)

Dear sir,

I hope this letter finds you well. I would like to inform you that,I would like to do some voluntary work at your museum.

Voluntary is my one of the most favourite work.when i was a child i prefer to do some small work for my parents.they was always happy in my work.than stil now i want to do some free work,when i am free.my final exam is finish now,so i am free in this time.I have some interast for museum.so i want to free work in your museum.I alrerdy gather some exprience for voluttary.last year i was voluntry in our locai museum.I think this experience.I gather some heip me

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

You make a relevant attempt to apply, explaining that you are interested in museums and have volunteered at a local museum before. However, the response only minimally addresses the task: it does not describe specific skills or personal qualities that would help you, and it gives no clear days or hours when you are available. The reason for applying is also repeated rather than developed. The letter ends before the application is fully explained, so the director has little information on which to act. The response is 38 words below the required minimum, which contributes to these omissions. Add a clear statement of motivation, examples of useful skills, and precise availability to address all three bullet points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic sequence of ideas: you introduce your interest, mention your childhood and current availability, and then refer to previous museum volunteering. This gives the reader some sense of the topic. However, the ideas are not arranged into clear paragraphs, and several points are difficult to follow because they run together, such as the discussion of being free after your final exam and wanting to work at the museum. The ending, “I think this experience. I gather some heip me,” does not complete a clear thought. Use separate paragraphs for your reason, relevant experience and availability, and connect each point with simple, accurate transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

You use some task-related vocabulary, including “voluntary work,” “museum,” “experience,” and “final exam,” so the general subject is identifiable. However, the vocabulary is basic and repetitive, especially the repeated use of “free work,” and several spelling or word-choice errors make parts of the message hard to understand, such as “interast,” “alrerdy gather,” and “voluttary.” Some phrases are also unnatural, including “Voluntary is my one of the most favourite work.” Build a more precise range for an application letter, using expressions such as “volunteer,” “gain experience,” and “contribute to the museum,” and check spelling and collocations carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response mainly uses short, simple statements, with a few attempts to link ideas using “when,” “so,” and “because.” However, control of sentence structure and basic grammar is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make the intended meaning unclear. For example, “they was always happy” has incorrect subject–verb agreement, while “my final exam is finish now” uses an incorrect verb form. The opening also contains faulty punctuation and an unnecessary repeated clause: “I would like to inform you that,I would like…” Practise accurate past and present forms, agreement, and sentence boundaries before attempting longer sentences. A clearer range of correctly formed sentences would make the application easier to understand.

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

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