Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-08

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 5.5)

Dear Mrs Barrett,

I hope you are doing well.i am writing to express my interest in assisting you in your recent home for certain period of time.I believe i can provide you a balanced life style.

There are plenty of things that i am of capable of creating a comfortable environment and maintaining a household.I would help her through doing chores, preparing food and settling in.Most of the people would feel difficult to maintain household works and food plays a vital role to get used to it especially if you are new to the city.

Availability can depend on my study timetable whenever i have an exam i will take a leave most probably not more than 2 days

Right after i get back on track to my work.other than that i am available all days.

Thank you for your attention.I am looking forward getting a response from you.

Best regards,

Raki

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt: suggesting help, explaining your motivation, and outlining your availability. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, your explanation of how you can help is quite vague, and the section on availability is difficult to follow due to grammatical issues. To improve, ensure that each point is expanded with more specific details—for example, instead of saying 'chores', you could specify 'light cleaning, grocery shopping, or gardening'. The tone is generally appropriate for a letter, but the content needs more depth to fully satisfy the requirements of a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the logical progression between sentences is often weak. For example, the transition between your availability and your return to work is abrupt and confusing. You rely on very basic linking words, and some sentences feel disconnected. To improve, use a wider variety of cohesive devices such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in addition to this' to connect your ideas more fluidly. Additionally, ensure that your referencing is clear; for example, you switch from addressing Mrs Barrett to referring to her as 'her' in the second paragraph, which is inappropriate for a direct letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite repetitive and lacks precision. Phrases like 'plenty of things' and 'get used to it' are informal and imprecise. You also have some awkward collocations, such as 'assisting you in your recent home', which does not make sense in this context. To reach a higher band, try to use more specific vocabulary related to household tasks and professional communication. Avoid overly generic phrases and focus on using words that accurately describe your skills and the nature of the assistance you are offering.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, including issues with subject-verb agreement, capitalization (e.g., 'i'), and sentence structure. For example, 'Most of the people would feel difficult to maintain household works' is grammatically incorrect and awkward. Many of your sentences are fragmented or run-on, which hinders readability. You should focus on basic sentence construction, ensuring that every sentence has a clear subject and verb. Additionally, pay close attention to punctuation and capitalization, as these errors are distracting and suggest a lack of proofreading.

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

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