Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-14
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 6.5)
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to express my interest for the job opportunity that was advertised by you in the local magazine.
I am currently a student and actively looking for employment. To be transparent, I am struggling financially and working for you would not only help me in earning a small living for myself but also help me save on residential costs for six months.
My university campus is located very near to your residence and I can also take classes online. Therefore, I can assure you of my full time availability and commitment in taking care of your son. More over, my educational background in behavioral sciences has also taught me how to understand the psychology of children so I will connect well with him.
In my free time, I take sports classes. I have enrolled a popular fitness club in the town. This will provide me the opportunity to develop skills in a sports skills and also socialise will like minded people.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Samarat Khan
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The candidate has successfully addressed all three bullet points of the task prompt. First, the writer explains why they would like the job by mentioning financial struggles and residential savings. Second, details of suitability are provided through their university proximity, full-time availability, and educational background in behavioral sciences. Third, the writer outlines how they would spend their free time taking sports classes at a local fitness club. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to parents, and the purpose is clear throughout. The response covers all parts of the task well and meets the criteria for Band 7.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The letter exhibits clear logical organisation and progression. Paragraphing is used effectively, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the prompt, such as motivation, suitability, and free-time activities. Cohesive devices are used appropriately, including transition words like 'Therefore', 'More over' (though written as two words), and 'In my free time'. However, referencing and cohesion occasionally feel slightly mechanical. Overall, the flow of ideas is coherent and easy to follow, supporting a Band 7.0 score.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
The student demonstrates an adequate to sufficient range of vocabulary for the task. Words and phrases such as 'financial struggles', 'residential costs', 'behavioral sciences', and 'socialise with like-minded people' show good lexical control. However, there are a few minor word choice and collocation inaccuracies, such as 'interest for the job' instead of 'interest in the job', 'earning a small living' instead of 'earning a living', and 'enrolled a popular fitness club' instead of 'enrolled in a popular fitness club'. These minor errors do not impede communication, placing the response solidly at Band 6.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as conditional and relative clauses ('To be transparent, I am struggling financially and working for you would not only help me...'). There are several instances of error-free sentences, demonstrating good control of grammar and punctuation. Nevertheless, a few errors persist, including spacing issues ('More over') and minor prepositional mistakes ('enrolled a popular'). These errors are non-systematic and rarely impede communication, corresponding well to the Band 7.0 descriptors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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