Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS Summit Mastery · 2026-08-17
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)
Hello
I am writing this letter to apply for a job of waiter in your restaurant. I found an advertisement in newspaper regarding your requirement of 2 year experience. I am suitable candidate for this job as I have 3 year experience in this field at Royal Hut fine dinning restaurant. I am also a student of hotel management in University of Calgary, so I need money for my fees and relative work experience. Other reason why I am applying is location of your restaurant. Because it is nearby by house, So I can work over time because of conveniently approachable location. I am non smoker , non drinker a young boy who really wants to make career in this business in future. Kindly revert me with the tentative time of interview and anything else you want me to bring with me.
Hoping for your positive response.
Warm Regards
Tom Harley
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: it explains the applicant's current status as a student, details their suitability through previous experience, and requests an interview. However, the development of these points is somewhat basic. For instance, the mention of needing money for fees is a personal detail that is less relevant to a professional application than focusing on skills. The tone is occasionally informal (e.g., 'young boy'), which detracts from the professional nature of a job application letter. To reach a higher band, the candidate should expand on how their specific skills from their previous role would benefit this particular restaurant.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the purpose of the letter to qualifications and finally to the interview request. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the sentence starting with 'Because it is nearby by house' is a fragment that relies on the previous sentence for context, which disrupts the flow. Paragraphing is also insufficient; the entire body of the letter is presented as a single block, which makes it harder to read. Using more varied linking words and clearer paragraph breaks would significantly improve the structure.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher levels. There are several instances of awkward phrasing or incorrect word choices, such as 'relative work experience' (likely meaning 'relevant') and 'revert me' (which is an incorrect usage of the verb 'revert' in this context). The phrase 'non smoker, non drinker a young boy' is also stylistically inappropriate for a formal letter. While the meaning is clear, the range of vocabulary is narrow and relies heavily on basic descriptors.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Issues include missing articles ('in newspaper', 'at Royal Hut'), incorrect preposition usage ('nearby by house'), and punctuation errors. Subject-verb agreement and sentence construction are often shaky, such as 'I found an advertisement in newspaper regarding your requirement of 2 year experience.' These errors are noticeable and occasionally distract the reader, although they do not fully impede communication. A greater focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy is required.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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