Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-09

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 about your advertisement for help with household chores for a few hours a day next summer.

Firstly, I am willing to help you with cleaning and dusting. I will occasionally do the dishes depending on the load. If you want me to wash the clothes, I will be willing to do that by the weekend.

I am sure I will be of great help because I will be free during the summer holidays. I will have plenty of time to participate in such activities, which will keep me fit and healthy. Additionally, it will be a way to get rid of boredom and engage in a healthy pastime.

That said, I hope to work only four days a week from Monday through Thursday because on weekends I plan to visit my grandparents in town.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three requested points: you offer cleaning, dusting, dishes and laundry; explain that summer work would keep you active and relieve boredom; and state that you are available Monday to Thursday but not at weekends. These details are relevant, though the reasons for wanting the job and the specific household help are only briefly developed. The phrase “depending on the load” also leaves your willingness to do dishes somewhat uncertain. The response is 143 words, so it does not meet the 150-word minimum; the eight words copied from the task prompt were not counted. Add a little more detail, such as your experience or the hours you could work each day, to develop the letter fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter is arranged in a clear sequence: it introduces the advertisement, describes the help offered, gives reasons for applying, and then explains availability. Paragraphing supports this progression, and linking phrases such as “Firstly,” “Additionally,” and “That said” make the relationships between ideas easy to follow. The overall organisation is coherent and the reader can understand your message without difficulty. To make the cohesion more flexible and natural, avoid relying on explicit transitions for each new point; the paragraph order already signals much of the progression. You could also connect the availability directly to your offer, for example by stating which days you could come and what tasks you could complete then.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for this familiar topic, and phrases such as “household chores,” “cleaning and dusting,” and “summer holidays” communicate the main ideas clearly. You also attempt some less basic expressions, including “engage in a healthy pastime,” although this sounds slightly formal for a personal letter and overlaps with the idea of staying fit. Some choices are imprecise or less natural: “do the dishes depending on the load” is unclear, and “by the weekend” does not clearly explain when you would wash clothes. Choose more direct, natural wording and specify the intended timing. A broader range of precise household-task and availability vocabulary would help you express your offer with greater flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the conditional “If you want me to wash the clothes, I will be willing to do that” and the reason clause “because I will be free during the summer holidays.” Most sentences are clear, and punctuation and paragraphing are generally controlled. There are some awkward constructions that could be made more concise and precise: “I will be willing to do that by the weekend” is grammatically possible but does not clearly express the timing, while “I hope to work only four days a week from Monday through Thursday” is somewhat cumbersome. Practise varying sentence openings and using concise clauses to explain availability and conditions; this would strengthen the range while maintaining accuracy.

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

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