Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-23
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,
In response to your advertisement in an Australian magazine regarding the job of looking after your six-year-old child for six months, I would like to apply, and I believe my expertise as 6 years nanny suit this position.
As an international student, this is a good opportunity for me to save money because I will not have to expend for my accomodation as this job requirements is living with your six family at the same time I will not feel homesick. Another reason is that this job will contribute to my career and Australian experience to support my application for permanent residency someday.
As a single parent mother of three, I am patient, caring, and compassionate with young children. I will treat your child as my own and show love intentionally. Besides childcare, I also clean at home. I will make sure your house is always clean; you will not have a problem with household chores.
Moreover, during my free time in Australia, I can take your child to park or accompany to any activity that needs my guidance while you are both busy with important matters.
I am looking forward to working with you soon.
Sincerely yours,
Amy
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You address the three requested points: you explain your interest in the live-in arrangement and career experience, describe your parenting and childcare background, and mention activities with the child during free time. The details about being a parent of three and having six years of nanny experience are relevant, but the suitability section would be stronger with a specific example of caring for a child or managing a routine. The free-time point is less fully answered: taking the child to the park or activities describes childcare rather than how you would spend your own free time in Australia. Also clarify your motivation so it focuses on the role and family, rather than mainly accommodation and residency benefits.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The letter has a clear overall arrangement: an opening application, paragraphs explaining your motivation and suitability, and a closing. Paragraphing helps the reader follow the main points, and transitions such as “Another reason” and “Moreover” signal additions. However, some connections are mechanical, and the sentence beginning “As an international student” combines several ideas—saving money, avoiding homesickness, and career benefits—without a clear progression. The final paragraph also shifts from your own free time to looking after the child, which weakens the link to the task point. Separate these ideas and use clearer references to distinguish your plans from childcare duties.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use a relevant range of vocabulary for the topic, including “patient,” “compassionate,” “childcare,” and “household chores,” so your meaning is generally clear. There are, however, noticeable spelling and word-choice or collocation problems that limit precision: “accomodation” is misspelled, “expend for my accommodation” is unnatural, and “show love intentionally” does not express your intended meaning naturally. “Six years nanny” is also an awkward phrase for describing your experience. Aim for conventional expressions and check spelling, especially in a formal application. More precise vocabulary for your childcare experience and leisure plans would make the letter sound more confident and professional.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the sentence beginning “As an international student” and the clause “because I will not have to…”. The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity and control. For example, “my expertise as 6 years nanny suit this position” has problems with the noun phrase and subject–verb agreement; “this job requirements is living with your six family” also has agreement and sentence-structure problems. In “accompany to any activity,” the verb lacks a clear object. Review agreement, articles, and complete verb patterns, and divide long sentences when several ideas are being joined.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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