Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-13

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 or Madam,

I am writing to express my interest in an job you advertised in an Australian magazine.

To begin with, I have been working as a nanny for the past three years. The family I was working with, have recently moved to another city. I am currently looking for a full-time job as a nanny. I am patient, confident and keen on taking care of children. Therefore, I think I would be the best person to look after your six-year-old child. I can assist him with his regular routine like taking shower, getting ready for school and daily assignments. In my leisure time, I would also enjoy supporting your family with any household chores such as organising, cooking and gardening work. This work be an additional support for your family as well as keeping me physical fit. Since I am not working at the moment, I am available to start working at your earliest convenience.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Thank you for considering my application.

Yours faithfully,

Payal Bhakta

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0

The letter clearly applies for the advertised nanny position and gives relevant reasons for your suitability, including three years of nanny experience, patience, and willingness to help with the child’s routine. However, the task asks you to explain why you want the job and how you would spend your free time in Australia, and these points are not adequately addressed. Saying you are looking for full-time work explains your circumstances more than your motivation for this particular opportunity. The reference to household chores describes extra work, not leisure activities. To make the response more complete, explain your interest in living in Australia and mention specific free-time plans, such as exploring local places or joining community activities.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable structure: an opening stating your purpose, a main paragraph with your experience and availability, and a polite closing. Ideas within the main paragraph generally follow a sensible order, and phrases such as “To begin with,” “Therefore,” and “Since” help show relationships between them. However, the paragraph combines qualifications, household help, and availability, so the different points are not clearly separated. The transition to “In my leisure time” is also confusing because the activities listed are chores for the family rather than free-time plans. Organising the letter into distinct paragraphs for motivation, suitability, and leisure would make its progression clearer and cohesion less dependent on linking phrases.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a job application, including “express my interest,” “patient,” “regular routine,” and “at your earliest convenience.” These choices make your purpose and childcare experience understandable. There are also some inaccurate or unnatural expressions: “an job” has an incorrect article, “taking shower” is not the natural phrase, and “keeping me physical fit” uses the wrong form and sounds awkward. “Daily assignments” is also less suitable for a six-year-old’s schoolwork than a more specific phrase. Aim for natural collocations and precise wording, for example “helping him get ready for school” and “keeping physically active.” This would improve fluency and appropriacy while retaining the relevant vocabulary you already use.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes both simple sentences and some more developed structures, such as “Since I am not working at the moment, I am available to start working at your earliest convenience.” Most sentences communicate their meaning clearly, and the overall control is consistent with a mix of structures and some grammatical errors. There are several correct uses of the present perfect and past forms, including “I have been working” and “have recently moved.” Some errors remain: “an job” should be “a job,” the comma in “The family I was working with, have” is unnecessary, and “This work be” needs a finite verb, such as “This work would be.” Also use “taking a shower” and “keeping me physically fit.” Checking articles, verb forms, and sentence punctuation would improve accuracy.

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

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