Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-21
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 friend,
Today i am writing this letter to inform you that i have seen an advertisement in an Australian magazine that you need a care giver for your six year old child.
I am searching a care giver job from last month but could not find which is suitable for me. Suddenly i was reading a magazine and saw a advertisement that was given by you. I have a great experience to take care of child because i have been caring a child in my family so i know well how to take care of children in good way.
I want to say that i will spend my free time with my cousin house . She was living here from 3 years so i do not need to take any kind of pressure .
I would be thankful for you if you give me opportunity to do this job.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The letter addresses all three bullet points, but the development is quite limited. You explain why you want the job and your suitability, and you mention your free time. However, the tone is inconsistent; you begin with 'Dear friend' despite the instructions to use 'Dear Sir or Madam', which is a formal requirement. The ideas are somewhat repetitive, particularly regarding your experience, and the explanation of your free time is brief. To improve, ensure you expand on your suitability by providing specific examples of your childcare experience and maintain a formal, professional tone throughout the letter to match the context of a job application.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which helps readability. However, the use of cohesive devices is very limited and mechanical. You rely heavily on simple sentence structures and lack transition words to connect your ideas smoothly. For example, the transition between your search for a job and finding the advertisement is abrupt. To reach a higher band, try to use a wider variety of linking words such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in addition' to create a more natural flow between sentences and paragraphs. The overall progression of ideas is logical but lacks sophistication.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
Your vocabulary is functional but basic. You use repetitive phrases like 'take care of' and 'care giver'. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'searching a care giver job' instead of 'searching for a childcare position'. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, but it lacks the precision and variety expected for higher bands. To improve, try to incorporate more specific terminology related to childcare and professional correspondence, and avoid repeating the same verbs and nouns throughout the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, including issues with articles ('a advertisement'), verb tenses ('She was living here from 3 years'), and prepositions ('at my cousin house'). While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are noticeable and detract from the professional tone. You rely almost exclusively on simple sentences. To improve, focus on using a wider range of complex structures, such as relative clauses or conditional sentences, and pay closer attention to basic subject-verb agreement and article usage. Proofreading for common errors like these will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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