Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-11-11

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have decided to look for a new job.

Write a letter to a friend. In your letter
• explain why you are looking for a new job.
• describe the kind of job you would like to have.
• ask your friend to help you find a job

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear _________,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Mary,

I am delighted to write you this letter, hope you have being coping well with work and studies .I admire your how courageous you are,to have been able to handle these demanding tasks effectively.

I am writing mainly to inform you that i just resigned from my bank job,and this is mainly due to fact that,it has been overwhelming lately.I seldomly have time for my self and other activities,coupled with pressure of meeting the ambigous marketing target.

However,I would be interested in a teaching job ,preferably with your school ,because i am making plans to start up a pastery business alongside teaching,to have another stream of income.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You explain why you left your bank job, saying it has become overwhelming and leaves little time for yourself, and you identify teaching—ideally at Mary’s school—as the kind of work you want. However, the response does not fulfil the request to ask Mary to help you find a job: mentioning her school is not a clear request for assistance. The reason for leaving and your plan to run a pastry business are relevant, but they are only briefly explained. The response is also 41 words below the required minimum, which limits how fully you can develop the points. Address every bullet explicitly, especially by asking Mary to recommend vacancies or introduce you to someone, and add supporting detail.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The ideas follow a generally understandable order: you greet Mary, explain your resignation, and then describe the work you hope to do. The contrast marker “However” helps signal the move from your current situation to your future plans. At present, though, the letter is very short and presented as one continuous block, so the progression between points is not fully clear. Some links are also awkward, such as “and this is mainly due to fact that,it has been overwhelming lately.” Use separate paragraphs for your reason, preferred job, and request for help. Add a clear closing sentence and use linking phrases to show how the teaching role relates to your plans.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You show an adequate range and some flexibility with phrases such as “demanding tasks,” “overwhelming,” “marketing target,” and “another stream of income.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and “overwhelming” is particularly apt for describing your workload. There are, however, several spelling and word-choice slips that reduce precision, including “seldomly,” “ambigous,” and “pastery.” “Marketing target” would also sound more natural as “marketing targets” or “sales targets” in this context. Aim to check spelling carefully and choose collocations that fit the intended meaning. More precise vocabulary for the teaching role and the kind of support you need from Mary would also make the letter more effective.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, for example the sentence explaining that you have little time for yourself and the clause beginning “because I am making plans.” The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical and punctuation errors are noticeable. “I hope you have being coping” should be “I hope you have been coping,” while “due to fact that” needs an article: “due to the fact that.” The opening sentence also joins ideas with a comma rather than a full stop or conjunction, and spacing around punctuation is inconsistent. Review verb forms, articles, and sentence boundaries, and proofread for capitalisation of “I.” These corrections would make your varied structures more controlled.

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

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