Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-11

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 Raj,

I am writing this letter to request your assistance. Actually, I decided to leave this job because my current job is too far from my home. The commute waste my a lot of time so, I don't get enough time for my health. The another reason is that I don't recieve enough wages. I do not see any growth here.

Now, I am looking for a job in IT department as I for this field. Where I can make enough money as well as I can polish my skills in this department. I know that you are working in IT department so i want your help, could you refer me in your company. That would be a lot for me. I am waiting for your reply. I would be appreciate that.

Kind & Regards,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

You have addressed all three bullet points: explaining the reason for leaving, describing the desired job, and asking for help. However, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of your ideas. For example, your description of the desired job is quite brief; you could have expanded on the specific IT roles or projects you are interested in to better meet the task requirements. Because the response is under-length, it cannot reach a higher band score for this criterion. To improve, ensure you elaborate on each point with more detail and supporting information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the current situation to the request for assistance. You use basic cohesive devices like 'Now' and 'The another reason', though the latter is grammatically incorrect. Paragraphing is attempted, but the structure is somewhat disjointed due to the brevity of the sentences. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that your sentences flow more naturally into one another. The overall arrangement is clear enough for the reader to follow your intent, but the lack of sophisticated transitions keeps this in the mid-range.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite repetitive and lacks variety. Phrases like 'make enough money' and 'polish my skills' are functional but basic. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'The another reason' instead of 'Another reason' and 'I would be appreciate that' instead of 'I would appreciate that'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more precise vocabulary related to professional environments and career development, and pay closer attention to standard collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors that occasionally impede the flow of your writing. For instance, 'The commute waste my a lot of time' contains a subject-verb agreement error and an extra pronoun, and 'as I for this field' is an incomplete clause. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While your meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these grammatical slips prevents a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and ensuring that all clauses are complete.

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

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