Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-08
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 let you know that, you live currently besides me and I saw your advertisement for help. As I will be happy to help you as long as you are here.
Let me tell you in detail, since you live in the fourth floor. The owner of the building only provides water till second floor because currently machine is unable to pump enough water to the high floors.
Further, I will suggest you to take water as much as you need from my home, as I live in 2nd floor. Also, if you want me to transfer water buckets to your level. I would be more happy to do that since you are new to this place.
Moreover, I will only be available in the evening, as I am doing a job in the company. Therefore, I will be unavailable in the mornings.
Take care. Hoping to see you again.
Kashi
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
You make a relevant offer to help by sharing water and carrying buckets, and you explain that you are free in the evenings but not mornings. However, the letter does not clearly address the full purpose of the advertisement: most of the detail concerns the building’s water problem, while the kinds of household help you could provide are not explained. You also do not say why you want the work; “since you are new to this place” explains your offer, not your motivation. The opening is difficult to follow, and “as long as you are here” leaves your meaning unclear. To make the response more complete, state specific domestic tasks you can do and give a clear reason, such as earning extra money or gaining experience.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0
The letter has a recognisable sequence: you introduce the advertisement, describe the water issue, make an offer, and then explain your availability. Paragraph breaks help separate these points, and linking expressions such as “Further” and “Moreover” signal movement between ideas. However, the progression is not consistently clear because the long explanation about the building’s water supply takes attention away from the requested home-help arrangement. Some connections are awkward: “As I will be happy to help you” is not properly attached to the opening sentence, and “Also, if you want me to transfer water buckets to your level” is left as a fragment. Organise the letter around the three requested points and use complete, clearly connected sentences.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use enough vocabulary to communicate the main situation, including “advertisement,” “available,” “unavailable,” and “transfer water buckets.” These choices show some range beyond very basic words. However, several expressions are unnatural or imprecise, which makes parts of the letter harder to understand: “you live currently besides me,” “the fourth floor,” and “take water as much as you need from my home.” “As long as you are here” is also unclear in this context. Aim for more natural collocations and precise wording, such as saying that you live nearby, offering access to your water supply, or explaining that you can carry water upstairs. This would make your offer sound clearer and more appropriate for a formal letter.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt a mixture of simple and more complex forms, including a reason clause with “as I am doing a job in the company” and a conditional offer beginning “if you want me to…”. The main message is generally recoverable, but sentence boundaries and clause construction are not consistently controlled. For example, “I am writing to let you know that, you live currently besides me” has an unnecessary comma and an awkward clause structure; “As I will be happy to help you…” is an incomplete sentence; and “Also, if you want me to transfer water buckets to your level” is another fragment. There are also errors in articles and prepositions, as in “in the fourth floor.” Practise joining dependent clauses to complete main clauses and checking punctuation.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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