Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

Dear sir,

i hope you are in a good health and spirit.i am writing this letter to request you that i need a job in your musium

Moreover, i was scrolling my phone through social media.suddenly isaw a banner in which you are hire new staff for the musium.this news is very essential for me because I was looking for a job for the few days.

i have six months experience working in a store and also work with a friend,s company i think it would be better for your musium i am a very kind hard work and optimistic person.

furthermore, if you get me a chance to improve my skills and experience i would be very thankful to you.i hope i will be a right person for your requirements.

At the end i looking forward to your positive response.

Your fathfully.X,Y,Z

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 2.5

The letter only partly fulfils the task, which is why its response remains very limited. It gives a reason for applying—seeing a recruitment notice and needing work—and mentions personal qualities and previous experience. However, it presents the opportunity as a paid “job” and “new staff” role rather than clearly applying for unpaid voluntary work. The skills are vague (“kind hard work and optimistic”), and there are no details at all about when you could work, despite this being a required point. The request is also not clearly framed as an application to volunteer. The response is 143 words, below the required 150. Address each bullet explicitly, especially availability, and explain how your experience would help museum visitors or staff.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

There is some basic organisation: the response moves from the reason for writing to how you heard about the opportunity, then to your experience and a closing request. Connectors such as “Moreover” and “furthermore” signal additions, and the reader can generally follow the intended message. However, the progression is not consistently clear: the social-media detail repeats the idea that you are looking for a job, while the letter never moves on to availability. Several transitions feel mechanical, and paragraphing is absent, making the different purposes less distinct. Use separate paragraphs for your motivation, relevant skills, and schedule, and choose linking phrases that show the relationship between ideas rather than simply adding another point.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate a basic application, with relevant terms such as “experience,” “skills,” and “positive response.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or spellings make the letter sound unclear or unsuitable for a formal application. For example, “musium” is misspelled, “I need a job” does not convey unpaid volunteering, and “this news is very essential for me” is an unnatural way to explain your interest. “Kind hard work and optimistic” also does not express the qualities clearly. Aim for precise, formal phrases connected to museum volunteering, and check spelling and collocations. This would make your purpose and suitability easier for the director to understand.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The letter uses mostly simple sentence patterns, with a few attempts to combine ideas using “because” and “if.” Meaning is usually recoverable, but frequent errors in sentence formation, verb forms, articles, and punctuation make the writing less controlled. For instance, “i am writing this letter to request you that i need a job” has an awkward clause structure, while “if you get me a chance … i would be very thankful” does not form a natural conditional. The closing sentence, “At the end i looking forward,” is missing a verb form. Capitalisation and spacing after full stops are also inconsistent. Practise accurate application-letter sentence patterns and proofread each sentence for a subject, verb, and complete clause.

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

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