Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-25
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,
My name is john. I am a residence of 14-A, Yorkville, Toronto. I am writing this letter to inform you about seeing an advertisement in australian magazine for looking of six year old child for six months with family.
At first, I am a teacher by profession and my job is transferred to sydney, australia in next month. Therefore, teaching and giving lessons to the children is my hobby as well as profession. To educate children in a proper efficient manner. Giving education to an early upbringing is very important for their future growth also. By developing good qualities and manner to their respective adults.
Moreover, I have gained numerous certificates, training from recognized institutes of relating to education and human behaviour. Especially core subject is to how to deal with minor child. By helping them and understanding the good quality of learning and behaviour establishment in them. In college, my submission of essay writing, speech and public speaking debates also records on top highest relating to child behaviour and networking. I especially love children by talking and playing with them. Also motivate them by their future goals and career.
Lastly, To be assured, spending free time in australia is very challenging to me. After looking all day to a six year old child in summer vacations. I will also learn some new interesting things like finding and solving puzzles with child. Testing some of brain games with her. Dancing and listening new types of music. By playing indoor and outdoor games like table tennis, badminton. Watching out of fictional and non fictional movies, also educational movies or series for me as well to the child. At the end, I have all the qualities and the consideration behavior regarding to help the six year old child and assist her with grateful learnings.
I am waiting for your positive response as soon as possible.
Yours faithfully,
John
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: explaining the motivation, detailing suitability, and describing free-time activities. However, the development of these points is somewhat uneven. The explanation of suitability is repetitive, focusing heavily on general teaching philosophies rather than specific childcare experience. The section on free time is also slightly confused, as it describes activities to do with the child rather than personal time spent in Australia. While the task is fulfilled, the tone is occasionally inconsistent with a formal application letter, and some ideas are under-developed or lack clarity.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'At first' is not an appropriate transition for the second paragraph, and 'Lastly, To be assured' is awkward and does not logically introduce the final point. Referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the transition between discussing professional qualifications and personal hobbies. While the overall progression is logical, the lack of sophisticated linking words and the occasional misuse of transitions limit the flow of the text.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. There are several instances of awkward word choices and unnatural collocations, such as 'looking of six year old child', 'submission of essay writing', and 'grateful learnings'. The student attempts to use more complex vocabulary, but it often results in errors that slightly impede the natural flow of the letter. To improve, the student should focus on learning common collocations and ensuring that words are used in their correct grammatical context.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Issues include incorrect article usage ('in australian magazine'), subject-verb agreement problems ('my job is transferred'), and awkward phrasing ('my submission of essay writing... records on top highest'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several sentence fragments and run-on sentences. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar and sentence construction prevents the writing from reaching a higher band score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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