Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-30

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 Mohan,

My name is Aman Sharma, I am a student in Wintec university.

I am looking for part time job and i saw post on the university's notice bored about part time job avaliable in your historical museum. I am keen intersted in that job because i am history student and museum is the best place to get knowledge about history. I am doing part time job in groccery store to pay my living expenses so i want to explore more without any salary.

As, i am tidy person, you can see my abilities on my work in arranging books and any other things. Even i worked as a receptionist, i am able to work on infromation desk as i have good communication skiils.

As u know, exams are going in universties, i am not able to start with you before end of this months, however i am happy to work with you after exam during semester breaks. So that, i can utlilize my free time by learing new skills in your museum.

kind Regards,

Aman Sharma

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the three main points: you explain your interest in history, mention experience in a grocery store and as a receptionist, and describe when you could begin. The reason for applying is relevant, but “the museum is the best place to get knowledge” is general, and the link between your current paid work and wanting unpaid work is not fully clear. Your skills are also only briefly explained; for example, you mention being tidy and having communication skills, but could show how these would help visitors or museum staff. The availability is understandable, though “after exam during semester breaks” could be more precise. The informal greeting “Dear Mohan” does not follow the requested formal approach; use “Dear Sir or Madam” when the director’s name is unknown.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a generally coherent order: you introduce yourself and your interest, describe relevant experience, then explain your availability. Paragraphing helps separate these points, and the reader can follow the overall message. However, some connections are awkward or mechanical, such as “As, i am tidy person” and “So that, i can utlilize my free time,” which do not link the ideas smoothly. The shift from wanting a part-time job to seeking unpaid work could also be made clearer. Improve progression by using complete, purposeful transitions and grouping related details—for example, explain your motivation first, then connect each skill to a museum duty, before giving a clear availability schedule.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the situation, including “historical museum,” “receptionist,” “information desk,” and “communication skills.” These choices make your intended experience and contribution understandable. However, the range is limited, and several spelling errors or imprecise phrases reduce the accuracy and polish of the letter: “notice bored,” “avaliable,” “intersted,” and “learing.” Some expressions are also unnatural, such as “get knowledge about history” and “explore more without any salary.” Choose more precise collocations, such as saying you want to deepen your knowledge of local history or contribute as a volunteer. Careful proofreading would help ensure that spelling and word forms do not distract from your relevant ideas.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentence forms, and the main message is usually understandable. However, errors occur frequently in sentence boundaries, articles, agreement, and punctuation. For example, “My name is Aman Sharma, I am a student” joins two independent clauses with only a comma; “I am tidy person” needs an article; and “As, i am” has incorrect punctuation and capitalization. The sentence beginning “Even i worked as a receptionist” also needs a clearer grammatical connection to the main clause. Practise forming complete sentences with accurate articles and capital letters, and use conjunctions or full stops to connect ideas. More reliable control of these basics will make your longer sentences easier to read.

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

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