Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-07

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 Adil,

i hope that you are doing well. I am writing this letter to let you know that these days I am looking for a job as a general physician in your city and I really appreciate it if you would help me in this matter because you are well familiarize with the surrounding.

I am looking for a placement in local GP clinic because of my expertise in in the field of medicine. I really want to work in a peaceful environment with an optimum patient flow in the morning shift because of my commitment to my online business in evening.

I would really appreciate if you could help me in this situation. I will surely visit on next weekend. We will spend some quality time together and talk about the good old days.

Yours sincerely, Anadil Noel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: explaining the reason for the job search, describing the desired role, and requesting assistance. However, the response is 140 words, which falls short of the 150-word minimum requirement. This under-length negatively impacts the development of ideas. While the purpose is clear, the explanation of the job search and the description of the ideal role could have been expanded with more detail to fully satisfy the task requirements. To improve, ensure you elaborate on your professional goals and provide more context to meet the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. The progression of ideas is generally easy to follow. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat limited and occasionally mechanical. For example, the transition between the job description and the request for help could be smoother. While the paragraphing is appropriate for a letter, the overall flow would benefit from a more varied range of linking words and better referencing to connect the sentences more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the message to be communicated clearly. You use some relevant professional terms like 'general physician' and 'placement'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'well familiarize' (should be 'well-acquainted') and 'in in' (a repetition error). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited; using more precise or descriptive language would enhance the quality of the letter. Focus on learning common collocations related to professional correspondence to improve your precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I really appreciate it if you would help me' (should be 'would appreciate it if you could help me') and the missing article in 'visit on next weekend'. Additionally, there is a capitalization error at the start of the first sentence ('i'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall accuracy. Increasing your control over verb tenses and articles will help improve your score.

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

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