Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-10-31

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 6.0)

Dear Mrs Barrett,

I am writing to you because I saw your advertisement in which you mentioned that you need someone to help you in your home for a few hours a day next summer. I am a university student; I am new to this town, and I need a part-time job to support myself financially because I have to pay my academic fees, accommodation, and some expenses for my living costs. I will be free to help you next summer. I can help you clean the house and dust the furniture. I can cook simple meals, but I would like to do the dishes in the kitchen. I would like to help with the children's homework and engage them in physical activities. I will be available next summer from Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 2: 00 pm. If you need my help after this time, you can contact me at this number. [redacted phone].

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Sumbal

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three points: you suggest cleaning, dusting, cooking, washing dishes, and helping children, explain that you need income for study and living costs, and give weekday hours. The practical details make the offer clear, and the reason for applying is relevant. This fully covers the core requirements and shows some development, but the availability point is less complete: you say when you are free, but not when you will be unavailable, as the prompt asks. The children’s homework and activities are also mentioned without explaining whether Mrs Barrett has children or how this help fits her needs. Clarifying these details and adding a suitable closing offer would make the response more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter follows a sensible order: you introduce the advertisement, explain your circumstances, list possible duties, and then state your hours. This makes the message easy to follow overall. However, nearly all the information is placed in one long paragraph, so the different purposes of the letter are not clearly separated. The repeated use of “I” at the start of sentences also makes the flow somewhat mechanical. Consider using short paragraphs for your reason for writing, the help you can offer, and your availability. Linking phrases such as “In addition” or “Regarding my schedule” could guide the reader more naturally, while a clearer transition to your contact details would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task and includes relevant household terms such as “dust the furniture,” “cook simple meals,” and “children’s homework.” These choices communicate the services you can provide. Some phrasing is less natural or precise, however: “expenses for my living costs” is repetitive, and “engage them in physical activities” sounds formal and vague for a personal letter. “Help with the children’s homework” is clear, but you could describe the activities more specifically. The range is sufficient, though it relies on familiar wording and has limited variation. Aim for natural collocations and concise phrasing so your offer sounds both fluent and appropriately personal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the reason clause “because I have to pay…” and the time phrase “from Monday to Friday.” Most of the message remains understandable, but some punctuation and sentence-boundary choices need attention. The long opening sentence combines several ideas and would be clearer if divided. In “9:00 am to 2: 00 pm,” the spacing within the time is incorrect, and the phone number is introduced as a separate fragment after a full stop. Write, for example, “You can reach me at this number if you need help outside these hours: …” Check punctuation and sentence boundaries, and vary sentence structures while keeping them controlled.

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

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