Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-27

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 8.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing in response to an advertisement I recently saw, as I am interested in taking care of your six-year-old child for a period of six months.

I previously worked as a childcare assistant in Brisbane, and I have more than four years of experience in this field. I believe this would be a good opportunity for me to work and live with your family, as I moved to Perth last week. It would allow me to become familiar with the area and make good use of my time until I start a permanent job.

Apart from having extensive childcare experience, I am extremely passionate about working with children and teaching them new skills every day. Moreover, I would be happy to help with household chores, such as cooking and cleaning, in my spare time. Your child would also feel comfortable with me because I would engage him in various activities in addition to helping him with his studies.

Regarding my free time, I would like to visit the local library, where I can read books, and I would not mind if any of your family members wished to accompany me. I also find walking in the fresh air very relaxing. To stay fit, I usually go to the gym; however, I would be happy to discontinue this while working with you if necessary.

Thank you for your consideration.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Parminder Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained your motivation for the job, provided relevant details about your childcare experience, and outlined your plans for your free time. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter, and the purpose is clear from the outset. The ideas are well-developed, particularly the section regarding your previous experience in Brisbane and your willingness to assist with household chores. To reach a higher band, you could provide even more specific examples of the types of activities you would engage the child in, which would further demonstrate your suitability for the role.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the task. You use a range of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'Apart from', 'Moreover', and 'Regarding my free time', which helps the reader follow your train of thought easily. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the transition between your professional experience and your personal interests is smooth. The letter flows well from the opening to the closing, and the referencing is clear throughout. There is a consistent progression of ideas that makes the text easy to read and follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary that is appropriate for the context of a job application. Phrases like 'extensive childcare experience', 'permanent job', and 'discontinue this' show a solid command of language. Your word choice is generally precise and natural. To improve further, you could incorporate more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic expressions related to childcare or professional settings. For instance, instead of 'good opportunity', you might use 'ideal prospect'. Overall, your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and effectively without any noticeable errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

Your grammar is strong, with a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You demonstrate control over various tenses, such as the present perfect ('I have more than four years of experience') and the conditional ('I would be happy to help'). Punctuation is used correctly throughout the letter. There are no significant errors that impede communication, and the majority of your sentences are error-free. To aim for a higher band, you could experiment with more varied sentence beginnings or more complex subordinate clauses to showcase a wider range of grammatical flexibility.

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

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