Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-13

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,

This is Tom Living in a little current, ontario.I would Like to write a letter that am willing to join the voluntary work in the museum.

Firsttly, there are few reasons why I would like to join this unpaid work.Right now, I am doing graduation in modern college.I have hecktic schedule monday to friday. however,I would like to spend my weekend in some interesting work.

Secondly, I have keen interest in art. I already did 6 months course in art skill. Moreover, I think it would be beneficial for me , I can help with you to paint the walls.In addition, I love to work in a team So, I wpould love to join your company on weekend.

Lastly, I am available to work on weekends and for week days I can work after 4pm.please cosider my request as a vital basis.

looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Tom

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the three requested points: you explain that you want to use your weekends for interesting work, mention your interest and art course, and state that you are available at weekends and after 4 p.m. on weekdays. However, the application’s purpose and your reasons are only partly developed. For example, “it would be beneficial for me” does not explain what you hope to learn or how the museum’s work interests you, and the offer to paint walls may not clearly relate to the role. Your skills and qualities are also quite general; give a specific example of teamwork or an art-related ability. Make the request for a position more direct and explain how you could contribute to the museum.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable sequence, using “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Lastly” to introduce your reasons, skills, and availability. This makes the main points easy to locate, and the closing is appropriate for a formal letter. However, the numbered transitions feel mechanical, and some ideas within the second paragraph are not smoothly connected: the art course, painting walls, and teamwork are presented without explaining how they fit together. Paragraphing would be clearer if you separated your motivation, relevant skills, and availability into distinct sections. Also use consistent capitalisation and spacing after full stops so the reader can follow the progression more easily.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for an application, including “voluntary work,” “keen interest,” “beneficial,” and “available.” However, the range is limited, and several inaccurate or unsuitable expressions make parts of the letter less natural. “Join your company” is not appropriate for a museum volunteer role, while “vital basis” does not clearly express your request. There are also noticeable spelling and word-form errors, such as “hecktic,” “wpould,” and “cosider,” which reduce the accuracy of the message. Aim for precise phrases connected to museum work, such as assisting visitors, supporting exhibitions, or helping with activities, and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, for example, “I have keen interest in art” and “I think it would be beneficial for me, I can help with you to paint the walls.” However, the longer sentence joins two ideas incorrectly, and several basic grammatical patterns need more control. Examples include “a letter that am willing to join,” which lacks a clear subject and verb structure, and “I have keen interest,” which needs an article. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, particularly in “however,I” and “4pm.please.” Use complete sentences, check articles and prepositions, and separate ideas with a full stop or an appropriate conjunction.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.