Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-08-31

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 am writing to response to your advertised for someone to help you at home next summer. I would interest to doing this.

As, I live this town from last 30 year so know more about this town and town people, so I help you in kitchen shopping and also for setting furniture. In summer garden is always need more attention for cleaning I am expert to handle different types of plants and have knowledge about right soil and fertilizers, so I help you in garden also.

I would like to do this work because I am free in summer and my office close in summer so at that time I free to explore another world. this time in summer I want to join you as a helper.

I also mention here that I am free at afternoon and evening weekdays on weekend I always spend time with my family. so, from Monday to Friday from 10.30am to 4.30pm I always free in summer.

I hope you consider me for this.

Your Faithfully,

RAM

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: suggesting help, explaining the motivation, and detailing availability. The ideas are relevant, such as offering help with gardening and shopping. However, the development is somewhat limited, and the tone is occasionally inconsistent with a formal letter. While the task is addressed, the lack of clarity in some explanations (e.g., the motivation for wanting to work) prevents a higher score. The response is functional and communicates the necessary information effectively to the reader.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, each focusing on a specific requirement of the prompt. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite mechanical and sometimes inaccurate, such as the repetitive use of 'so' to link ideas. The transition between sentences is occasionally abrupt, and the referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly in the second paragraph. While the overall structure is coherent, the flow is hindered by the limited range of linking words and the somewhat disjointed sentence structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are several word-choice errors, such as 'I would interest to doing this' instead of 'I would be interested in doing this' and 'my office close' instead of 'my office closes'. The phrasing is often simplistic, and there is little evidence of less common lexical items. While the meaning is generally clear, the errors in collocation and word form are noticeable and occasionally distract from the message.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures, and there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'I am writing to response' (instead of 'respond'), 'I live this town from last 30 year' (instead of 'I have lived in this town for the last 30 years'), and 'I always free' (missing the verb 'am'). These errors are persistent and affect the readability of the letter. While the meaning is usually understandable, the lack of control over basic verb tenses and sentence construction limits the score.

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

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