Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-12

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 6.5)

Dear Mrs Barrett,

I am writing this letter to offer help with the house chores during next summer as you advertised in the local newspaper.

Although I am a student, I am an expert in all the work around the house including cleaning, cooking and washing. I can also help in maintaining your garden by cutting all the unwanted grass and planting flowers. Apart from these basic tasks, I know my way around painting and have a little knowledge about plumbing as well. Hence, I can help you with minor renovations around the house.

I want to help you out because my family is going away for whole summer and I cannot join them due to an extra course I had to take and this would improve my communication skills as well. I will be available 5 days a week except for Mondays and Tuesdays since my classes are on these days.

Let me know if this arrangement suits you.

Yours sincerely,

Ifra

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly outlined the types of help you can provide, such as cleaning, gardening, and minor renovations. You also provided a logical reason for wanting the work, linking it to your summer plans and professional development. Finally, your availability is clearly stated with specific days mentioned. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a neighbor. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on how your skills would specifically benefit Mrs Barrett, rather than just listing them, to demonstrate a more thorough development of ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the task, which helps the reader follow your points easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'Apart from these', and 'Hence' to link your ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. The overall progression is logical, and the paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter. To improve, ensure that your sentences flow more naturally into one another rather than feeling like a list of separate statements.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'maintaining', 'renovations', and 'arrangement' correctly. The language is natural and fits the context of a job inquiry. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication. To move into the higher bands, try to incorporate more precise or sophisticated collocations. For example, instead of 'work around the house', you could use 'household management' or 'domestic duties'. Your current vocabulary is sufficient to convey your message clearly and effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the concessive clause 'Although I am a student...' and the conditional 'Let me know if this arrangement suits you.' Most of your sentences are error-free, and your control of punctuation is generally good. There are minor slips, such as 'for whole summer' (missing the article 'the') and 'I know my way around painting' (which is slightly informal). However, these errors do not impede communication. To improve, focus on consistent use of articles and prepositions to ensure your writing is polished and grammatically precise.

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

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