Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-10

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You would like to reduce your working hours in order to study part time.

Write a letter to your boss. In your letter

• explain why you want to reduce your working hours
• say which hours you would like to work
• describe how your part-time studies would benefit your employer

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ....................................,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear John,

Hope you are fine. The purpose of writing this letter is to reduce my working time so, that i can continue my education on second time.

I joined your company two years ago by stoping my education due to some families issues. Now I want to continue my remaining study to get good position in company from manager to head of the pharmacy department. So I need some time for my study.

Moreover, I would like to work from 8 AM to 12 PM which suits me best to work in your company beacuse my university timing start from 2 PM to 8 PM. These working hours will be better for me so, that I will concentrate on my work as well as on my study.

My part-time study will benefit my job as my position changed from manager to head of the department as I compeleted my degree in Pharmacy. My las degree was in pharmacy but some of my semsters were remained so that after completing my study I will get good position.

I will be very grateful to you for this kind of act for me.

Yours faithfully,

Waqas

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three requested points: you explain that you paused your education because of family issues, specify a proposed 8 a.m.–12 p.m. schedule, and describe how completing your pharmacy studies could help you progress at work. The purpose of the letter is clear and the details are relevant. However, the benefit to the employer is less fully explained: the claim that your position could change from manager to department head focuses mainly on your own advancement, rather than showing how your new knowledge would help the company or its customers. The reason for choosing these hours is also stated, but could be linked more clearly to a practical arrangement for your role. Develop these points with specific workplace benefits and a clear request for your boss’s agreement.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: you introduce your request, explain your educational background, give your preferred hours, and discuss the potential benefit before closing politely. Paragraphing helps the reader follow these stages, and connectors such as “Moreover” and “so” show relationships between ideas. At times, however, the links feel mechanical or the references are unclear. For example, “These working hours will be better for me” repeats the schedule point, while “as my position changed from manager to head” makes the sequence of events difficult to follow. Organise the employer benefit as a distinct, clearly developed point and use more precise references to connect your studies, current role, and future contribution.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough task-related vocabulary to communicate the main message, including “working hours,” “university,” “degree in Pharmacy,” and “department.” However, the range is limited and several spelling or word-choice errors reduce precision, such as “stoping,” “beacuse,” “compeleted,” and “semsters.” Some expressions are also unnatural or vague: “continue my education on second time” and “this kind of act for me” do not sound idiomatic in a formal workplace letter. Aim for accurate collocations and more precise language when describing your request and its benefits. For instance, explain that you wish to “resume my studies” and that the qualification would help you “contribute more effectively” to the department.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses with “because,” “so that,” and “as,” and the reader can generally understand your request. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly in sentence construction and verb forms. In “I joined your company two years ago by stoping my education,” the relationship between joining and pausing study is not expressed correctly; “after pausing my studies” would be clearer. The sentence beginning “My part-time study will benefit my job as my position changed” also mixes future and past meanings, making the intended sequence unclear. There are errors in articles, agreement, and punctuation as well, such as “my university timing start.” Use a consistent tense and check each sentence for a clear subject and verb.

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

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