Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-25

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 5.0)

Dear Mrs Barrett,

I am writing to express my interest in the advert you recently placed regarding part-time help at your home for the upcoming summer.

I would like to help you with a variety of daily household tasks. Specifically, light cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, and running errands such as groceries or medical prescriptions.

I am particularly keen to take this position

while I want to use my summer break to contributing positively to someone in our local community. As an aspiring english learner, working with an native English speaker like yourself woul

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it is only 93 words long and ends abruptly mid-sentence. While the letter addresses the first two bullet points—suggesting help and explaining the motivation—it fails to address the third bullet point regarding availability entirely. Because the task is incomplete and significantly under-length, the development of ideas is severely limited. To improve, you must ensure all parts of the prompt are covered and provide enough detail to meet the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter begins with a clear, appropriate opening and follows a logical structure initially. However, because the text is incomplete and cuts off mid-sentence, the overall coherence is compromised. There is a basic attempt at paragraphing, but the lack of a conclusion or a full explanation of the final point prevents the development of a cohesive flow. To improve, ensure you complete your thoughts and use transition words to link your ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is generally appropriate for a formal letter, such as 'express my interest' and 'aspiring'. However, the range is limited due to the brevity of the text. There are minor errors, such as 'contributing' instead of 'contribute' and 'an native' instead of 'a native'. To reach a higher band, you should aim for a wider variety of vocabulary and ensure correct article usage and verb forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the grammatical control is inconsistent. There are errors in verb forms, such as 'while I want to use my summer break to contributing', which should be 'to contribute'. Additionally, the incomplete sentence at the end makes it impossible to assess the full range of your grammatical ability. Focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and correct infinitive usage to improve your accuracy.

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

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