Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-10-07

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 friend,

I hope you are doing well. Last night our class fellow Ali and I were together. Ali told me that you are in KSA and working as a Teacher at an international school. This made me proud that one of my class fellow and best friend is working in KSA at an international school.

My dear friend you are already aware about my faimly financial conditions. Here in Pakistan I am working as a private teacher . You know that here in Pakistan the salary of private teachers are very low. I am not being able to fulfil the basic needs of my faimly with this salary.

Dear freind as I above mentioned I have teaching experince and I need your help in finding a teacher job in KAS because you are already teaching their and you might have some refrences . So, you can help me in securing a teacher job in KSA.

Thank you so much in advance and I am expecting your positive response.

kind regards,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The letter addresses the three requested points: you explain that your current private-teaching salary cannot meet your family’s basic needs, identify teaching in Saudi Arabia as the job you want, and ask your friend to help you find a position. These details make the purpose clear. However, the explanation and request are brief and not fully developed. For example, you could say what kind of school or teaching role you are seeking, or mention your experience and qualifications more specifically. The opening also spends several sentences on your friend’s situation before reaching your own reason for writing. Develop the key points more directly and add a little relevant detail to make the letter more complete and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The ideas are arranged in a generally coherent order: you begin with news about your friend, explain your financial reason for changing jobs, and then make your request. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these stages, and phrases such as “This made me proud” and “So” show some links between ideas. At times, however, the progression is less smooth because the opening takes several sentences to reach the purpose of the letter, and “as I above mentioned” refers back awkwardly. The repeated address “My dear friend” and “Dear freind” also makes the linking feel mechanical. A clearer opening that states your news sooner, followed by more direct transitions between the reason and request, would strengthen the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main message, including relevant terms such as “private teacher,” “salary,” “basic needs,” and “securing a teacher job.” However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate, which makes parts of the letter less natural. For example, “family financial conditions” and “some refrences” do not express the intended ideas idiomatically; “financial situation” and “contacts” would be clearer. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “faimly,” “freind,” “experince,” and “refrences.” Check spelling carefully and learn common phrases for discussing employment and finances. More precise vocabulary would make the request sound clearer and more polished.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The letter includes both simple sentences and attempts at longer structures, such as “I am not being able to fulfil the basic needs of my faimly with this salary.” The main meaning is usually understandable, but there are some errors in sentence structure, agreement, articles, and punctuation. For instance, “the salary of private teachers are very low” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “I am not being able to fulfil” uses an awkward verb form; “I cannot meet” would be more accurate. The sentence beginning “My dear friend you are already aware” also needs punctuation after the greeting. Aim for accurate basic sentence patterns first, then use longer sentences with clear clause structure.

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

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