Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-18

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 or Madam,

I am writing regarding an advertisement I came to see recently in an Australian magazine for someone to live with a family for six months and look after their six year old child.

I would like this job since, it is my hobby to meet different people and spend time with them. I have some previous experience in taking care of minor children. So, I would be perfect for this job.

I would spend my free time while I am in Australia, by playing soccer, and going out with friends for night parties. One year before, I got a job as a pilot in Australian navy, and that life was really boring. To escape from the boredom

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the development of the required points. While you have touched upon the reasons for wanting the job and your suitability, the ideas are underdeveloped. The final point regarding how you would spend your free time is mentioned, but the letter ends abruptly mid-sentence, leaving the task incomplete. To improve, you must ensure all bullet points are expanded with sufficient detail and that you reach the minimum word count. The content provided is relevant, but the lack of completion and brevity prevents a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter lacks a clear structure and logical progression. While you have attempted to address the bullet points, the abrupt ending makes it difficult to follow the flow of ideas. Paragraphing is minimal, and there is a lack of cohesive devices to link sentences and ideas effectively. For example, the transition between your suitability for the job and your free time is quite sudden. To improve, ensure you use linking words such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in addition' to connect your thoughts and organize your letter into distinct, well-developed paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally simple and repetitive. You use basic phrases like 'look after' and 'spend time', which are functional but lack the variety expected at higher bands. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'night parties', which sounds unnatural in this context. To improve, try to incorporate more precise and varied vocabulary related to childcare and professional experience. For instance, instead of 'taking care of', you could use 'supervising' or 'providing childcare'. Expanding your range of descriptive adjectives and professional terminology will help improve your lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The grammar is mostly understandable, but there are several errors and awkward phrasings. For example, 'I came to see recently' is unnatural; 'I recently saw' would be better. The sentence 'One year before, I got a job' is also grammatically incorrect; 'A year ago' is the standard expression. You rely heavily on simple sentence structures. To achieve a higher band, you should aim to incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence structures, such as using relative clauses or conditional sentences, while ensuring that your basic grammar remains accurate.

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

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