Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-02

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,

I am writing this to you in regards of the job advertisment that you metioned somwhere in australian newsletter, where it was highlighted that you need a caretaker for your six years old daughter for consecutive 6 months.

I am working in various healthcare departments around different areas in Australia. I am foreigner student and also doing part time jobs frequently. However, this can be sometimes difficult to balance between work and study but i just took a break from semester thats why i am willing to do this job.

As you mentiioned your address in magazine, it is quiet near to my place where i am living right now. This can particulary reduce my commuting time so that i can easily be on my job destination without any hassle. On the other hand, i also recently completed my diploma in caretaker services wherease i feel that i am perfectly suitable for this role.

Despite my studies and work related time, I usually prefer to to gym and have some exercise for the sake of mental and physical health. This is particularly beneficial for the productivity at work.

I am looking forward to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Manayer sajid

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt only partially. While the writer manages to touch upon all the bullet points, the development of ideas remains limited and under-developed. For instance, the explanation of why the writer wants the job focuses heavily on a semester break and proximity rather than the intrinsic appeal of caring for the six-year-old child. Similarly, the details regarding suitability rely on a recent diploma and living nearby, without fully expanding on childcare experience. The third bullet point, which asks how free time would be spent in Australia, is addressed very briefly by mentioning going to the gym. To reach a higher level, the writer needs to extend each point with fully supported, relevant details rather than surface-level statements.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

There is some organisation evident in the text, as the writer attempts to divide ideas into paragraphs corresponding roughly to the prompt requirements. However, there is no clear overall progression throughout the letter. The transition between ideas feels somewhat disjointed, and cohesive devices are inadequate, inaccurate, or repetitive, such as the frequent reliance on transitional phrases like 'On the other hand' used incorrectly to introduce a new point rather than a contrasting one. Referencing is also occasionally unclear, such as pronoun use and spatial references. To improve, the writer must ensure that information and ideas are logically sequenced with a smoother, more natural flow and more accurate cohesive links.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is limited but minimally adequate for a basic functional message. There are noticeable errors in word choice, spelling, and word form, such as 'advertisment', 'metioned', 'somwhere', 'australian', 'foreigner student', and 'caretaker services'. The phrase 'job destination' is also an awkward collocation. These lexical inaccuracies and spelling errors sometimes cause slight difficulty for the reader. To move to the next level, the writer needs to expand their vocabulary range, use less common lexical items with greater precision, and eliminate basic spelling mistakes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates a limited range of structures, relying mostly on simple sentences alongside a few attempts at complex sentences that are often faulty. There are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles ('a semester break', 'in magazine'), incorrect prepositions ('in regards of'), subject-verb agreement issues, and lowercase letters at the beginning of sentences and for proper nouns ('australian'). These frequent errors can cause some difficulty for the reader. To achieve a higher score, the writer must incorporate a wider variety of complex structures with improved accuracy and better control over basic grammatical rules.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.