Volunteers Wanted: Write an Application
Read an advert for summer volunteers at an animal shelter, answer questions, then write an email applying for a place.
- Time
- 30 min
- Length
- 100-140 words
- Includes
- Reading text
Writadia · B1 · Emails
NameClassDate
Read first
Paws & Claws Animal Shelter: Summer Volunteers Wanted
Do you love animals? Have you got some free time this summer? We are looking for volunteers aged 16 or over to help at our shelter in July and August.
Volunteers walk the dogs, clean the cages, feed the cats and help visitors who want to adopt a pet. You don't need any experience because we give everyone a two-hour training session on the first day. However, you need to be reliable and not afraid of hard work. Some of our animals are nervous, so we also need people who are calm and patient.
Volunteers work at least two mornings a week, from 8 am to 12 pm. It isn't paid, but you get free lunch, a Paws & Claws T-shirt and a certificate at the end of the summer.
Interested? Send an email to Kate Morgan, our volunteer coordinator. Tell us about yourself, why you want to volunteer and which days you are free.
154 words
Check your understanding
- How old do volunteers need to be?Sixteen or over.
- Why don't you need experience?Because everyone gets a two-hour training session on the first day.
- Why do they need calm and patient people?Because some of the animals are nervous.
- What do volunteers get?Free lunch, a T-shirt and a certificate.
Your task
Write an email to Kate Morgan applying to be a volunteer. Include:
- a little about yourself
- why you want to volunteer and why you would be good at it
- which days you can work
- one question about the job
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Answer the questions about the advert.
- Start with the correct greeting (you know her name).
- Say why you are writing and where you saw the advert.
- Connect your personality to the qualities in the advert.
- Give your free days, ask your question and close politely.
Useful phrases
Opening
About you
Why you are suitable
Availability
Question and closing
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- volunteer
- a person who works without pay to helpWe need volunteers for the event.
- apply
- ask formally for a job or placeI'd like to apply for the job.
- reliable
- someone you can trust to do thingsShe's very reliable.
- adopt
- take an animal or child into your familyThey adopted a cat.
- coordinator
- the person who organises a groupEmail the volunteer coordinator.
Model answer (133 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
Dear Ms Morgan,
I am writing to apply for a place as a summer volunteer at Paws & Claws. I saw your advert on the noticeboard at my local library.1
I am seventeen and I am in my last year at Riverside High School. I have always loved animals, and we have two rescue dogs at home.
I think I would be a good volunteer because I am patient and reliable. For example, one of our dogs was very nervous when we adopted her, and I spent weeks helping her feel safe.2
I am free on Tuesday and Friday mornings in July and August.
I would also like to know if volunteers can help with the cats, as I have some experience with them.3
Thank you for considering my application.
Yours sincerely, Hana Novak
- Purpose + where you saw the advert.
- Match your qualities to the advert, and prove them with an example.
- A relevant question shows real interest.
Teacher notes
Reading for requirements: students underline every requirement in the advert (age, qualities, days). A good application answers each one.
Extra challenge
Write a short note Kate Morgan could send to all new volunteers before their first day.
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 12 minReading
Students read the text, then answer the comprehension questions in pairs.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: volunteer, apply, reliable, adopt, coordinator.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “Dear Ms Morgan,”, “I am writing to apply for a place as a summer volunteer at Paws & Claws.”, “I saw your advert on ...”.
- 26 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (100-140 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task and content | All points covered in detail; purpose and reader clear. | All points there, one is thin. | One point missing or some off-topic content. | Task mostly not met. | |
| Organisation and flow | Clear paragraphs; varied linking words. | Paragraphs present; linkers repetitive. | No paragraphs or jumpy flow. | Ideas scattered. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic-specific, varied vocabulary. | Adequate; some repetition. | Limited; some wrong word choices. | Very limited. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Range of structures, few errors. | Some errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors affect meaning. | Errors block understanding. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I answered the four questions.
- I used Dear Ms Morgan and Yours sincerely.
- I linked my qualities to the advert with an example.
- I gave my free days and asked a question.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- I answered the four questions.
- I used Dear Ms Morgan and Yours sincerely.
- I linked my qualities to the advert with an example.
- I gave my free days and asked a question.
Answer key
- Sixteen or over.
- Because everyone gets a two-hour training session on the first day.
- Because some of the animals are nervous.
- Free lunch, a T-shirt and a certificate.
Writadia · B1 · Emails
Assessment rubric: Volunteers Wanted: Write an Application
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task and content | All points covered in detail; purpose and reader clear. | All points there, one is thin. | One point missing or some off-topic content. | Task mostly not met. | |
| Organisation and flow | Clear paragraphs; varied linking words. | Paragraphs present; linkers repetitive. | No paragraphs or jumpy flow. | Ideas scattered. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic-specific, varied vocabulary. | Adequate; some repetition. | Limited; some wrong word choices. | Very limited. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Range of structures, few errors. | Some errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors affect meaning. | Errors block understanding. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I answered the four questions.
- I used Dear Ms Morgan and Yours sincerely.
- I linked my qualities to the advert with an example.
- I gave my free days and asked a question.
Teacher comment
Writadia · B1 · Emails
Peer-review sheet: Volunteers Wanted: Write an Application
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I answered the four questions. | |||
| I used Dear Ms Morgan and Yours sincerely. | |||
| I linked my qualities to the advert with an example. | |||
| I gave my free days and asked a question. |
Questions
- Does the text cover every point in the task?
- Are there paragraphs? What is each one about?
- Write two linking words the writer used.
- Is there a sentence you had to read twice?
Two stars and a wish
★ Something I liked
★ Another thing I liked
→ One suggestion
Writadia · B1 · Emails
Lesson plan: Volunteers Wanted: Write an Application
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 12 minReading
Students read the text, then answer the comprehension questions in pairs.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: volunteer, apply, reliable, adopt, coordinator.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “Dear Ms Morgan,”, “I am writing to apply for a place as a summer volunteer at Paws & Claws.”, “I saw your advert on ...”.
- 26 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (100-140 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Did you use this task in class?
If you used it, tell us. It helps us see which tasks work.