Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-16
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 Sir/Madam
I am writing a letter to apply for job as caretaker. I saw job post in magazine in that your family need a caretaker to look for a six old old infant.I do have early childhood educator licence as well as first aid certificate. I think i am suitable match for this job because i worked in this industry in the past.I know i had these qualities that are needed for this job for example communications skills, patience, calm nature. I like this job as i am caring person and i like to love someone and takecare of them. I would spend my free time to explore the popular places of Australia whenever i get free time. So please let me know if you need anything from my side. I can send my cover letter as well. I will wait for you reply.
Have a good day ,
Thank you
Karamjeet Kaur
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: explaining the motivation for the job, detailing suitability, and describing plans for free time. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited. For instance, the explanation of why you would be a suitable person is brief, and the description of how you would spend your free time is generic. To improve, you should expand on your experience and provide more specific details about the places you wish to visit in Australia. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though it lacks some of the professional polish expected in a job application.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is organized into a single block of text, which makes it difficult to follow. In IELTS writing, you should use clear paragraphing to separate your introduction, the body points, and your closing. While there is a basic logical progression, the use of cohesive devices is very limited. You rely on simple sentence structures and lack transition words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'in addition') to connect your ideas smoothly. Improving your paragraph structure and using a wider range of linking words will significantly enhance the flow of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is functional but basic. You use repetitive phrasing, such as 'I like this job' and 'I like to love someone'. There are also some inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'look for a six old old infant' (which should be 'look after a six-year-old child') and 'job post' (which should be 'job advertisement'). To reach a higher band, you need to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary related to childcare and professional experience, and ensure that your collocations are natural and accurate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response contains a mix of simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles ('apply for job', 'in magazine'), incorrect verb forms ('I am writing a letter to apply'), and punctuation issues. Some sentences are grammatically incomplete or awkward, such as 'I know i had these qualities that are needed'. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and punctuation prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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