Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-12

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have seen an advertisement in an Australian magazine for someone to live with a family for six months and look after their six-year-old child.

Write a letter to the parents. In your letter

• explain why you would like the job
• give details of why you would be a suitable person to employ
• say how you would spend your free time while you are in Australia

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear parents,

Here I would like to inform you that seeing advertisement in the magazine I would appreciate to stay with you all for six months.

Well just want to tell you I just recently shifted to Australia on student visa and I am finding difficult to find a good place for myself . Well it will be better for me to stay with you people and yes I love kids so even I can take care of them.

I would like to share some information about me is that I have some experience of child care, reason i have my own younger brother whom I use to take care back my country.

And most important thing is I would spend my free time by exploring place like water park, zoo, forest and many more. And most important thing is I would like to visit big cities also like Melbourn.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the reason for wanting the job, suitability, and plans for free time. However, the development of these points is quite limited. The tone is inconsistent; starting with 'Dear parents' is informal, while the prompt requested a formal letter starting with 'Dear Sir or Madam'. The explanation of suitability is brief, relying on a personal anecdote about a younger brother rather than professional or structured experience. The response meets the minimum length requirement, but the ideas lack the depth and professional polish expected for a formal application letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is divided into short, somewhat disjointed paragraphs. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link ideas smoothly. For example, the transition between the reason for applying and the personal background is abrupt. The use of 'Well' as a sentence starter is repetitive and informal, which detracts from the professional flow. While the progression of ideas is logical enough to be understood, the lack of varied linking words and the reliance on simple sentence structures make the overall organization feel mechanical and basic.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'I would like to' and 'most important thing is' are used multiple times, indicating a limited range. There are also errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'shifted to Australia' (instead of 'moved') and 'exploring place' (which should be plural). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band score. To improve, you should focus on using more formal, descriptive language suitable for a job application.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'seeing advertisement' (missing article), 'I use to take care back my country' (incorrect preposition and verb form), and 'visit big cities also like Melbourn' (spelling error and awkward syntax). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing commas and incorrect capitalization. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors and the lack of complex sentence structures limit the score. You need to focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles.

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

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