Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-07

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

Mrs Barrett, an English-speaking woman who lives in your town, has advertised for someone to help her in her home for a few hours a day next summer.

Write a letter to Mrs Barrett. In your letter

• suggest how you could help her in her home
• say why you would like to do this work
• explain when you will and will not be available

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Mrs Barrett,

Student answer (Band 5.0)

Dear Mrs Barrett, i hope your are doing well, i will love to help you in your home as i am very fast, multi-tasking in doing jobs. I want to work here because i love to help anyone in there homes as i also have an experience of doing help. Moreover, in the summer days i am available full time for your help and i will be there any time whenever you call me on this contact number [redacted phone]). And one thing to tell that i am not available on sunday because this day i always spend it with my family but for you i can come if there is an emergency.

I hope you will consider me as your helper for upcoming summer i will be grateful to you.

Thanks

Gursimran Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: suggesting help, explaining the motivation, and detailing availability. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The suggestions for help are quite vague (e.g., 'fast, multi-tasking in doing jobs'), and the motivation is repetitive. To improve, you should expand on specific tasks you can perform, such as cleaning, gardening, or grocery shopping, and provide more depth regarding your interest in the role. Because the response is under-length, it fails to fully develop the required points, leading to a lower score in this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into a basic structure with an opening, body, and closing. However, the paragraphing is insufficient; the entire body of the letter is essentially one block of text. The use of cohesive devices is limited and somewhat mechanical, such as the repetitive use of 'and' and 'as'. The progression of ideas is clear, but the lack of paragraph breaks makes the text feel cluttered. To improve, ensure you use separate paragraphs for each distinct point (e.g., one for your skills, one for your availability) and use a wider variety of linking words like 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'regarding'.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, which limits the effectiveness of your communication. Phrases like 'doing help' and 'doing jobs' are unnatural and imprecise. You rely on simple, high-frequency words throughout the letter. To reach a higher band, you need to use more specific vocabulary related to household assistance and formal letter writing. For example, instead of 'doing jobs', use 'household chores' or 'domestic tasks'. You should also aim to vary your word choice to demonstrate a broader range of language, as the current vocabulary is just sufficient to convey the basic message but lacks the precision required for higher scores.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement ('i hope your are doing well'), capitalization (the pronoun 'I' is consistently written as 'i'), and sentence structure. Many sentences are run-on or lack proper punctuation, such as the comma splice in the first sentence. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and punctuation is distracting. To improve, focus on consistent capitalization of 'I', correct verb forms, and breaking long, rambling sentences into shorter, grammatically correct ones. You should also practice using more complex sentence structures to demonstrate a wider range.

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

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