Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-29

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 wirting this letter to ask you regarding the adverstiment which was posted in the magazine. It says about the baby sister who can take care of the kid while staying with family.

I have been trying to apply overseas but due to my financial condition, I was not able to do so. However, last year I tried for Canada but got refusal due to shortage of funds. But directly coming as a baby sister will help me out in this situation.

After learing about this job, I would like to apply for this because I have been working in day care for 3 years. I am having enough experience in how to deal with all sort of kids. Due to my friendly nature kids like to interact with me, moreover my neighbourhood kids like to play and talk whenever they saw me wandering around the park or street. So I think I am a great fit for this position.

I was also thinking to do study related to children like Early Childhood Educator so by doing this. It will enhance my skill and also know more about the overseas kids. Eventhough this way I will manage my spare time in a fruitful way.

I hope you will look into it and reply back soon. Thank you for you time.

Yours Sincerely,

Daniel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the main points by explaining your motivation, describing childcare experience, and mentioning plans to study while in Australia. Your three years in daycare and your friendly manner are relevant reasons to employ you. However, the motivation is not fully focused on the job: the discussion of being unable to afford overseas travel and a Canadian visa refusal may make the application seem driven by financial circumstances rather than interest in caring for the child. The free-time plan is also only partly developed; studying early childhood education is mentioned, but you could add a specific leisure activity. Explain more clearly why this particular role appeals to you and how your experience would benefit this family.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable structure, with separate paragraphs for your motivation, experience, and plans, and the reader can generally follow the main points. However, progression is uneven: the opening repeats the advertisement’s purpose, while the paragraph about Canada interrupts the explanation of why you want the job. Some links are mechanical or unclear, such as “However” and “But” in close succession, and “by doing this” does not clearly identify what it refers to. The final paragraph combines study plans and free-time arrangements without a clear transition. Organise the letter around the three requested points and use more precise links between ideas to make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “day care,” “experience,” “friendly nature,” and “Early Childhood Educator,” so your meaning is usually understandable. However, the range is limited and several noticeable spelling and word-choice errors reduce precision, including “wirting,” “adverstiment,” “baby sister,” and “learing.” Some phrases are also unnatural, such as “deal with all sort of kids” and “know more about the overseas kids.” These choices can make the letter less clear or less professional. Check spelling carefully and learn common childcare collocations, such as “care for children” and “work in a childcare centre,” to express your experience more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, for example, “After learing about this job, I would like to apply for this because…” However, complex sentences are often not controlled accurately, and errors occur frequently enough to affect clarity. In “I am having enough experience,” the present perfect or simple present would be more appropriate; “all sort of kids” also needs plural agreement. The sentence “I was also thinking to do study related to children like Early Childhood Educator so by doing this” is incomplete and has faulty construction, while “Eventhough this way…” is not a complete sentence. Practise forming complete sentences and checking verb patterns, agreement, and punctuation.

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

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