Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-28

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 John,

How are you? I am done with my school last month. I am writinig to ask you if you help me to find a seasonal job as i need to pay my tution fee for next program in university of New Brunswick. I had experience as a part time waiter in a restuarant while doing school i used to work in KFC that why im looking somewhere same kind of joib or anywhere they not ask for professional skill and certificate. It would be great if you know any restuarant around here hiring there i can drop my resume. Please let me know if you hear an job opportunity in our area.

Best wishes,

Mike Rick

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions: you explain why you are looking for a new job, describe the kind of job you would like to have, and ask your friend for help. However, there is a significant penalty because the length requirement is not met, containing only 118 words instead of the minimum 150 words. Furthermore, some of the bullet points are under-developed due to this brevity, such as the specific details regarding the kind of job you want. Because the length constraint was explicitly violated, Task Achievement is impacted.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The letter maintains a recognizable friendly letter format starting with an appropriate greeting 'Dear John,' and ending with a standard sign-off. However, the text lacks proper paragraphing, as it is written as a single block of text instead of separating distinct ideas into paragraphs. Cohesive devices are basic and repetitive, relying heavily on conjunctions like 'and' and 'as'. The logical progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed due to run-on sentences and a lack of clear transitional markers between explaining your situation and asking for assistance. Overall arrangement is coherent enough to understand, but formatting and cohesion need better management.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The lexical resource is limited and adequate only for basic communication. You use everyday vocabulary such as 'seasonal job', 'tuition fee', and 'resume', which are relevant to the topic. However, there are several lexical errors and awkward word choices, such as 'done with my school' instead of 'finished school' or 'graduated', 'writinig' (spelling error), and 'restuarant' (misspelled). Phrases like 'somewhere same kind of joib' lack precision and standard collocation. While the reader can understand your meaning, the vocabulary range is restricted and contains noticeable errors that prevent it from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The writing demonstrates a very limited range of grammatical structures, consisting mostly of simple sentences and some awkward compound-complex constructions. There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including omission of auxiliary verbs ('if you help me' instead of 'if you can help me'), tense confusion ('I am done' instead of 'I finished'), preposition misuse ('in university' instead of 'at the university'), and spelling/typographical errors ('im', 'joib'). Punctuation is also weak, with run-on sentences like 'I had experience as a part time waiter in a restuarant while doing school i used to work in KFC that why im looking somewhere...'. These frequent errors cause some difficulty for the reader.

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