Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Mrs Barrett,

I am writing this letter to express my desire to help you over the next summer for few hours everyday. I saw your posting in last week’s magazine, and I wanted to reach out to you and explain why I feel, I am the best fir for this role.

Firstly, I am doing my bachelor’s of engineering at the Queen’s University. I will be staying at my grandparents's place which is in nearby neighbourhood. I always look forward to help senior citizen as much as I can. I am proficient with the work related to gardening, fixing mechanical equipments and also cooking. I have my valid driving license and could drive to nearby stores for grocery shopping.

Secondly, I believe my skill-set is an ideal fit for this role. I won’t be doing an internship next summer and would like to spend this time helping people in my neighbourhood. I saw you live alone and you are in your mind 70’s. At this age, I believe you need help with household chores.

Furthermore, I am available to work from noon to evening on weekdays. I will be busy spending time with my family on weekends, so I could not help you during weekends. I’ve attached my resume and two reference letters for your review. Should you require more details, I am happy to assist you.

Kind regards,

Alex.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the prompt effectively. You clearly suggested how you could help (gardening, cooking, driving), explained your motivation (helping people in the neighbourhood), and provided specific availability (weekdays, noon to evening). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a stranger. However, the comment 'I saw you live alone and you are in your mind 70’s' is slightly intrusive and could be perceived as impolite in a professional context. To reach a higher band, ensure that all personal observations remain professional and respectful to maintain the appropriate tone for a job application.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. You use transition signals such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Furthermore' to guide the reader through your points. While the structure is sound, some of the cohesive devices feel slightly mechanical. Additionally, the referencing in the second paragraph ('I saw you live alone...') is a bit abrupt. Improving the flow between sentences by using a wider variety of linking phrases would enhance the overall coherence of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'proficient with the work related to' and 'ideal fit for this role' are appropriate. However, there are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'best fir' (typo for 'fit') and 'mechanical equipments' (equipment is an uncountable noun). You also use 'in your mind 70’s', which is an awkward phrasing. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise professional terminology would help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'for few hours' (missing 'a'), 'grandparents's' (incorrect possessive form), and 'look forward to help' (should be 'helping'). The phrase 'I feel, I am' contains an unnecessary comma. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of gerunds after specific verbs to improve your accuracy.

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

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