Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-21

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 hope you are in good health. I am writing this letter to show my interest in helping you in your home during next summer. I saw the advertisement in the paper yesterday, and I thought I could be a great fit for this job. I have previously done multiple jobs where I have helped people with the household chores and cleaning. I can help with cleaning, laundry, cooking and can run errands for you as well.

I would love to do this work because your home is only at a five minute drive from my college. I can come directly from college to work. Also having this job will help me pay my tuition fee.

I will be available for work from Monday to Friday after 2 PM, except for Wednesdays as I have a lab rotation. I will be available after 4 PM on Wednesday.

You can contact me on [redacted phone] to share the details of work. I would be looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Malinda Roger

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly outlined the services you can provide, such as cleaning and running errands, and provided a logical reason for wanting the job related to your college commute and financial needs. Your availability is also clearly stated, including the specific exception for your Wednesday lab rotation. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a potential employer. To reach a higher band, you could provide slightly more detail or 'extension' on your previous experience to make your application more persuasive, but overall, the task requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is well-organized with a clear logical progression. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your ideas easily. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'also' and 'as well' to link your sentences. To improve, you could incorporate a wider range of linking words and transition phrases (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', 'Regarding my availability') to move beyond simple sentence-to-sentence connections. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the letter follows a standard formal structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. Phrases like 'good health', 'great fit', and 'lab rotation' are used accurately. However, the vocabulary is somewhat functional and lacks the 'less common' or 'sophisticated' items that characterize higher bands. For instance, instead of 'done multiple jobs', you could use 'undertaken various roles'. The word choice is generally precise, and there are no spelling errors that impede communication. To improve, try to incorporate more specific collocations related to household management or professional correspondence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are error-free, and your control of punctuation is generally good. There are a few minor slips, such as 'your home is only at a five minute drive' (should be 'a five-minute drive') and 'I would be looking forward to' (the present continuous 'I am looking forward to' is more standard here). These errors are infrequent and do not cause any difficulty for the reader. To aim for a higher band, ensure consistent use of articles and more varied complex sentence patterns.

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

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