Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 16 · 2026-11-02

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 Barret,

APPLICATION FOR THE POSITION OF HELPER

My name is okpalekke kingsley okechukwu, a graduate of mechanical engineering for the university of abuja. during my nysc i was previlage to work i at lovking agency that render helping service to people that can not do that that was where i was trained to render services. i have over 3 years of exprience in this job and i am very good at it. if i am giving the oppourtunity i wi assist you in cleaning of the house, cooking and other house chores and you wont regret giving me this offer and i am very happy to assist you in your home because it gives me joy rendering help to people and that is my passion and i will appreciate it if the job will flexible to enable attend my classes because i am currently doing my PGD. i will be available monday, wednesday and saturday. other days i will use it attend to my studuies.

Thank you in anticipation hope to hear from soon.

Yours faithfully

okpalake kingsley.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you offer cleaning, cooking and other household chores, explain that helping people gives you joy, and state that you are available on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday because you need other days for your studies. These are relevant details and the reader can understand your application. However, some parts are less fully developed or unclear. For example, you mention your previous work and training, but the description of the agency and your duties is difficult to follow. You also say the work should be flexible around your classes without explaining the hours you could work on your available days. Clarifying your experience and giving a more precise schedule would make the letter more complete and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter follows a broadly sensible order: you introduce yourself, describe your experience and possible duties, explain your motivation, and give your availability. The closing is also appropriate for a formal application. However, most of the information is packed into one long paragraph, and several ideas run together, particularly the account of your training, your offer of help, and your study commitments. This makes the progression harder to follow. Use separate paragraphs for your background and offer, your reasons for applying, and your schedule. Full stops and linking phrases such as “In addition” or “However” would help show how the ideas relate, rather than relying on repeated “and” or moving abruptly between points.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use vocabulary relevant to the task, including “cleaning,” “cooking,” “house chores,” “experience,” and “available,” so your main message is understandable. However, the range is limited and several spelling and word-choice errors make the letter less clear or less professional. Examples include “previlage,” “oppourtunity,” “exprience,” and “studuies”; “render helping service” is also an awkward phrase for describing this work. The repeated use of “help” and “assist” limits variety. Aim for accurate, natural expressions suited to a formal application, such as describing your “household duties” and “previous experience,” and check spelling carefully before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine several ideas in longer sentences, and the reader can generally identify your intended meaning. However, the response relies heavily on long, joined clauses, and errors in verb forms, sentence boundaries, and punctuation sometimes make it difficult to follow. For instance, “if i am giving the oppourtunity i wi assist you” needs a conditional structure such as “If I am given the opportunity, I will assist you.” The sentence beginning “i will appreciate it if the job will flexible” also needs a clearer verb pattern: “I would appreciate it if the hours were flexible.” Use capital letters for “I” and days of the week, and divide long sentences into shorter, complete ones. This will improve control while allowing you to show a wider range of structures.

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

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