Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-19

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 saw your advertisement that you are looking for someone for help in your home. So, I can help you in your home because I have an experience in this field and I am also willing to help others. I would love to do household chores. I did these things for the family and now, I am doing for myself. You are a very kind and good hearted person. So, I just feel connected with you because I am living far away from my family. You are like a mother to me.

Further, I am available on all days in the morning time because I have other work in the evening. I am grateful if you would consider me for your help.

Yours faithfully,

Prabhjeet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses all three bullet points: suggesting help, explaining the motivation, and stating availability. However, the development of these points is quite limited. The explanation of 'how' you can help is vague, simply stating 'household chores' without specific examples. Furthermore, the letter is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the overall task achievement. To improve, you should expand on the specific tasks you can perform (e.g., cleaning, cooking, gardening) and provide more professional context regarding your availability rather than focusing on personal emotional connections, which are less relevant to a formal job application.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a basic logical structure, starting with the purpose of the letter and ending with availability. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed. The transition between offering help and the personal statement about the recipient being 'like a mother' is abrupt and lacks a cohesive link. Paragraphing is present but minimal. To improve, use a wider range of cohesive devices (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', 'In addition to this') to connect your sentences and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for basic communication but lacks the range and precision expected for higher bands. You rely on simple, repetitive phrasing such as 'help in your home' and 'do these things'. There is little attempt to use less common or more sophisticated vocabulary related to domestic work or professional correspondence. To improve, try to incorporate more specific terminology related to the job, such as 'domestic assistance', 'maintenance', or 'flexible schedule', and avoid overly informal or emotive language that may not be appropriate for a professional letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I have an experience' (should be 'experience' as an uncountable noun) and 'I am doing for myself' (missing object). Additionally, the phrase 'I am grateful if you would consider me' is slightly awkward; 'I would be grateful if you would consider me' would be more accurate. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to affect the overall flow and clarity of the writing.

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

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