Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

During a recent plane journey, you sat next to a businessman who owns a chain of restaurants. You talked to him and he suggested that you should contact him about a possible job in one of his restaurants.

Write a letter to this businessman. In your letter

• remind him when and where you met
• tell him what kind of job you are interested in
• say why you think you would be suitable for the job

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ................. ,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Boss,

I hope you are doing well.

Firstly, I am writing this email you to remind about when I suggested you to get a possible job in your restaurant to me. As you remembered we were met at birthday party one of my friend Sam. We were sitting together to have a dinner in party.

I just want to tell you that I am interesting in to get a position as a supervisor in your restaurant as I already have one year experience in the same filed.

Moreover, I think I will be great match for this position as I already did work on Sam's Cafe as supervisor. I can easily assist to the manager regarding the inventory, pay stubs and other legal works of the restaurant. I also have experience in computer skills so I can easily create a schedule for employees.

Yours faithfully,

Nasreen

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: reminding the recipient of the meeting, stating the desired job, and explaining suitability. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum, which impacts the overall task completion. The tone is also inconsistent; starting with 'Dear Boss' is inappropriate for a professional letter to a businessman met at a social event. While the ideas are relevant, the development is somewhat basic. To improve, ensure you meet the word count requirement and adopt a more formal, professional tone suitable for a business inquiry.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into short paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'Moreover', 'Firstly'). The logical progression is clear, but the transitions between sentences could be smoother. Referencing is occasionally unclear, such as the confusion regarding where the meeting took place (a plane journey versus a birthday party). Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring consistent referencing will help achieve a higher band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are several word-choice errors, such as 'filed' instead of 'field' and 'did work on' instead of 'worked at'. The phrasing 'legal works' is also imprecise. While the meaning is generally conveyed, the range of vocabulary is limited, and the errors occasionally distract the reader. To improve, focus on using more precise professional terminology and checking for common spelling and collocation errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that affect clarity. Examples include 'I am writing this email you to remind about when I suggested you to get a possible job' and 'we were met at birthday party'. These errors, including incorrect verb tenses and preposition usage, are noticeable. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy is essential.

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

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