Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-09-05

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 inform you that I would be happy to help you in your household works next summer.

As advertised, you want someone who can cook and help you with gardening, and I have experience of both. When I was in a college I took the classes for the gardening, so I am aware about it very well. What's more, since my childhood, I love cooking and I can cook variety of cuisines.

The reason why I would like to help you is because I love to help others. During my summer break, I always do some kind of volunteering work. And my parents have taught me that I should respect and help elderly people, therefore it would be honor to help you.

Although I have summer break, I am planning to take the piano classes so I won't be available during the mornings. But I will be mostly available between 5 to 10 every evening.

I hope that you will allow me to help you next summer.

yours faithfully,

Rishi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain how you can assist (cooking and gardening), provide a personal motivation for wanting the job, and specify your availability. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a potential employer. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands your intentions and constraints. To reach a higher band, ensure that the details provided are slightly more specific; for example, mentioning a particular type of gardening or cuisine could add depth to your response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each requirement, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a single topic, which makes the letter easy to follow. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'What's more', 'Therefore', and 'Although' to link ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. To improve, try to vary your linking words further and ensure that the progression of ideas feels more natural rather than following a rigid structure of one paragraph per bullet point.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'volunteering', 'cuisines', and 'household works'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'took the classes for the gardening' (should be 'took gardening classes') and 'household works' (should be 'household work' or 'chores'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication or precision required for higher bands. Focusing on more natural collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing will help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional 'if' or 'although' clauses. While your meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'When I was in a college' (remove 'a'), 'I am aware about it' (should be 'aware of'), and 'it would be honor' (should be 'an honor'). These errors are frequent but do not impede communication. To improve, pay closer attention to article usage and prepositional phrases. Increasing the variety of complex structures while maintaining accuracy will help you move toward a higher band.

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

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