Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-11-07

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

A restaurant has placed an advertisement for waiters and waitresses in your local newspaper. Write a letter to the restaurant, applying for the job. In the letter

• explain what you are currently doing
• describe your suitability for this area of work
• say when you can attend an interview.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am writing to express interest in the waiters and waitresses job that you have in your restaurant and placed an advertisement in a local newspaper. I am currently in 2nd year of my masters degree in Mechatronics Engineering at Ohio University. I am also doing some academic research in Machine Learning alongside the study.

I have two years of experience as a waiter in a renowned restaurant from my home country. In my bachelors degree I had operate three clubs which enhanced my communication skill.

I can attend the interview anytime this weekend.

thank you

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the three requested points: you explain that you are studying for a master’s degree and doing research, mention two years of restaurant experience and club management, and say you are available for an interview this weekend. These details are relevant, but they are very briefly stated and the letter does not fully develop your suitability—for example, you could explain how your experience strengthened customer service, teamwork, or handling busy periods. The response is also substantially below the required 150 words, so the application feels incomplete. Add a fuller account of your skills and experience, and clarify your availability with specific days or times.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a clear basic sequence: an opening that states your purpose, a paragraph about your background and experience, and a closing statement about interview availability. This makes the main information easy to locate. However, the body is very short, so the ideas are not developed into a fuller progression, and the connection between your engineering studies and your suitability for restaurant work is not explained. The sentence about operating clubs also introduces a relevant point without showing how it supports your application. Use separate, purposeful paragraphs for your current situation, relevant skills and experience, and interview arrangements, with clear links between the details.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant vocabulary for an application, including “express interest,” “academic research,” “experience,” and “communication skill.” These choices make your purpose and background understandable. However, the range is limited in this short response, and a few phrases are awkward or imprecise, such as “the waiters and waitresses job” and “operate three clubs.” More precise language would help present your experience professionally: describe the role you held in the clubs and the customer-facing duties you performed. You could also use terms such as “hospitality experience,” “customer service,” and “teamwork” where they accurately reflect your background.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

Your response uses mostly simple sentence forms, with a few attempts to add information through longer sentences. The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors are noticeable. For example, “In my bachelors degree I had operate three clubs” has an incorrect verb form, and “alongside the study” uses an unclear article and noun construction. The opening sentence also combines the job and advertisement details in a way that makes the structure awkward. Review past-tense forms and sentence construction, and check articles and possessives—for example, “my bachelor’s degree.” Adding a few accurately controlled complex sentences would also show a broader grammatical range.

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

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