Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-18

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,

I am in pink of my health, I hope you are doing well, I am writing this letter to inform you about I am looking for a job of teacher and I request you to find a suitable school for me.

The reason behind looking for a job is I am facing difficulties in financial conditions. I have to pay my child's school admission fees as well as house rent. Moreover, if I will join a school, I hope suerly overcome to my situation.

As you know i am going through some difficult situation, So that i need a job of teacher because it is suitable according to my timings. As you know I have to take care of my parents and chidren, so it would be suitable for me, becaus job timings are mostly from 8.00 a.m to 1.00 p.m in all schools.

I hope you will help me to find a job according to my convience and that should be near to my house. I believe that, you will surely find a source of income for me.

I hope for your kind reply.

Yours lovingly,

ABC

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The candidate has successfully covered all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explained why you are looking for a new job, citing financial difficulties such as paying your child's school admission fees and house rent. You also described the kind of job you would like to have, specifically a teaching position with morning timings from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to accommodate caring for your parents and children. Finally, you asked your friend for help in finding a suitable job near your house. The tone is appropriately informal for a letter to a friend. The ideas are adequately supported and extended, fulfilling the requirements for Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter has a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical letter-writing structure, starting with an informal greeting and ending with a sign-off. Paragraphing is used to separate different points, such as the reason for the job, the desired job characteristics, and the request for help. However, some cohesive devices are mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of phrases like 'As you know' and 'I hope'. Referencing is sometimes unclear, and transitions between sentences can feel a bit abrupt. Overall, the organization is clear enough to earn a Band 6.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully communicating everyday concepts and personal circumstances. There are some good lexical attempts, such as 'financial conditions' and 'source of income'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'I am in pink of my health' (incorrect idiom usage) and 'overcome to my situation'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but the lexical control is limited, placing this response firmly in the Band 5.0 range due to the noticeable errors in word choice and expression.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some variety. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including clause structure issues (e.g., 'inform you about I am looking for'), conditional mistakes ('if I will join'), and prepositional errors. Punctuation is also weak, with comma splices present in multiple sentences (e.g., 'I am doing well, I am writing'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, their frequency prevents the writing from achieving a higher band, making Band 5.0 the most appropriate score.

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

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