Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-05

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 friend,

How are you? I hope you are doing well. I want to inform you I am looking for a new job. I hope you will help me for that job; actually, it's related to healthcare.

Recently, I have completed a diploma of personal support worker and completed 2 months of placements. I knew that you were already working in the same field.

I would like to have this job not only because of the money but also because I have an interest in assisting old people. This job will also help me in my further career.

I am asking you to help me in this job because you are doing work in the same field. i hope you will understand my situation

Thank you so much

mandeep kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: explaining the reason for the job search, describing the desired role, and asking for assistance. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which limits the development of ideas. The explanation of why you are looking for a new job is brief, and the description of the role could be expanded with more detail about specific skills or the type of healthcare environment you prefer. To improve, you should elaborate on your motivations and provide more context to your friend to ensure the letter feels complete and meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a basic logical structure, starting with an opening, moving through the required points, and ending with a closing. However, the paragraphing is inconsistent and the flow between sentences is somewhat mechanical. For example, the transition between mentioning your diploma and asking for help could be smoother. There is a lack of varied cohesive devices; the letter relies on simple conjunctions like 'and' or 'because'. To reach a higher band, use a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in addition') to connect your ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for a personal letter but remains quite basic. Phrases like 'doing work' and 'help me for that job' are repetitive and slightly unnatural. While the message is clear, there is little attempt to use less common lexical items or idiomatic expressions that would be appropriate for a letter to a friend. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations related to employment, such as 'seeking employment' or 'career advancement', and vary your word choices to avoid repetition.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I am asking you to help me in this job because you are doing work in the same field' (which is slightly awkward) and 'I have completed a diploma of personal support worker' (missing an article). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of lowercase 'i' and missing commas. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall accuracy score.

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

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