Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-19

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)

A museum close to my house is in need of personnels to carry out part-time voluntary/unpaid work.

I would like to do some voluntary/unpaid work at the museum.

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Alice Brown. I am from Olokoro Umuahia in Abia State. On the 15th of September, 2026 I read an advertisement on the local newpaper that the Memorial museum is in need of voluntary/unpaid workers.

I am a graduate of history and have just finished my National Service year. I would like to do voluntary/unpaid works at the museum. During my service year, i was posted to the Damola Archeological Centre Ibadan where I worked in the archives. This experience has really broadened my knowledge about archeology. For example, all the theories I was taught in the University were seen at the museum. The Umuahia museum is located less than two poles away from my home and I do not need any transportation to get to work. I woulld like to work in the archives to enable me bring a whole lot of expenerence that I acquired during my service to improve that department.

Also I intend to go back to school in the next two years to get a masters degree in archeology. Working in the museum will really be a very good idea as that will add to my knowledge and experience and would in no small way assist me to excel in my future endeavours.

I would be glad if, my letter is given a favourable response.

Yours faithfully

Alice Brown

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You explain your motivation through your history degree, archive experience, and plans to study archaeology, and you identify the museum’s proximity as a practical advantage. However, the task is only partially addressed because you do not give any details of when you are available to work, and your useful skills and qualities are mostly implied rather than clearly described. For example, working in archives suggests relevant experience, but you could name specific abilities such as cataloguing, handling records, or communicating with visitors. The opening sentence about the museum needing personnel repeats the situation rather than applying directly. Add a clear availability statement and develop your suitability with concrete examples to make the application more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The letter has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, paragraphs about your experience and future plans, and a closing. The ideas are generally grouped by topic, and connectors such as “Also” help signal an additional reason. However, progression is limited because the letter does not move through all three requested points: availability is absent, and the skills section is not clearly separated from your reasons for applying. Some links are repetitive, particularly the repeated explanation that museum work will add to your knowledge and experience. The opening lines before the salutation also interrupt the expected letter format. Begin with the required salutation, then organise the body into motivation, relevant skills, and availability for a clearer progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the subject, including “archives,” “archaeological,” “National Service,” and “master’s degree,” which helps communicate your background and interests. There is some repetition of “voluntary/unpaid work,” “museum,” and “knowledge and experience,” and several word-choice or spelling problems reduce precision. Examples include “personnels,” “newpaper,” “poles” when describing distance, and “expenerence.” The phrase “a whole lot of experience” is also informal for an application letter. Aim for more precise, formal expressions and check spelling carefully. A wider set of terms for museum duties and personal strengths would help you describe your suitability more effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mixture of simple and longer sentences, including the conditional-style explanation “Working in the museum will really be a very good idea as that will add to my knowledge and experience.” Most of the message remains understandable, but errors in sentence construction, agreement, articles, and punctuation are noticeable. For example, “I would like to do voluntary/unpaid works” uses an unnecessary plural, and “I would be glad if, my letter is given” has incorrect punctuation and an awkward clause structure. The lowercase “i” and inconsistent spacing after full stops also affect accuracy. Practise forming direct, complete application sentences and check each clause for correct verb forms, punctuation, and sentence boundaries.

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

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