Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-08

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 5.0)

Dear Sacha,

my friend hope you doing well. So, I'm looking for a job because my father broke that's why I need to help him. The kinda of job I would like to have is a English teacher I have a degree in it. I want you to help me find a job I remember that your uncle is teacher in a middle school, would you ask him if they need a teacher please.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it is only 74 words long. Consequently, the ideas are significantly underdeveloped. While you have addressed the three bullet points—explaining why you need a job, describing the desired role, and asking for help—the lack of detail prevents a full development of the task. To improve, you must expand on your reasons, provide more context about your professional background, and elaborate on the specific type of help you are requesting from your friend. The current brevity makes the letter feel incomplete and insufficient for the task requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter lacks paragraphing, which is essential for organizing ideas in a formal or semi-formal letter. The flow of information is somewhat abrupt, moving quickly from the reason for the job search to the request for help without smooth transitions. While the purpose of the letter is clear, the lack of cohesive devices and logical structure makes the text feel like a series of disjointed sentences rather than a cohesive piece of writing. To improve, you should use clear paragraph breaks for each main point and incorporate linking words to connect your ideas more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'the kinda of job' are informal and grammatically incorrect, and the overall range is limited. You rely on simple, everyday language that does not demonstrate the flexibility or precision required for higher band scores. For example, instead of saying 'my father broke', which is unclear and unnatural, you should use more precise language to describe financial hardship. To improve, focus on expanding your vocabulary related to employment, professional skills, and personal circumstances, and ensure you use words in their correct collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the clarity of your message. Examples include 'my friend hope you doing well' (missing subject/verb agreement), 'my father broke' (incorrect word choice/meaning), and 'your uncle is teacher' (missing article). The sentence structures are predominantly simple, and there is a lack of complex sentence forms. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and run-on sentences. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of articles before nouns.

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

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