Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 Sir/Ma'am

First of all have a great day to you!

I would like to ask a permision to you that i need to reduce my working hours. Its because i want to study part time to increase my knowledge . I want to reduce my working time from 6am to 2pm instead of 6am to 6pm. I want to study part time so i can get more techniques and knowledge and i think it is good because this course is related to my job to our company so we can recieve benefits from this course. I promise i will do my best of it and i will apply my all knowledge that i am going to learn on this course to our company .I hope you understand me .I do this also not for my self only but for the sake of our company to improved quality of service. thank you and have a good day!

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three requested points: you explain that you want to study to increase your knowledge, specify a proposed schedule, and describe how the course could benefit the company. The link between the course and your job, and your intention to apply what you learn, are relevant. However, the benefit to the employer is stated rather generally; for example, “improved quality of service” would be more convincing if you explained how a particular skill from the course could improve your work. The requested hours are also ambiguous: “from 6am to 2pm instead of 6am to 6pm” gives a clear finish time, but could be framed more explicitly as your proposed daily schedule. Overall, the purpose is clear, though some points need fuller development.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The ideas follow a broadly sensible order: you make the request, give your reason, propose hours, and explain the possible benefit. This makes the letter understandable. However, nearly all the content is placed in one paragraph, so the progression is not clearly signposted. Several ideas are joined with repeated “and” or “so,” as in “I want to study part time so i can get more techniques and knowledge and i think it is good.” This makes the relationships between points feel mechanical. Separate the request and schedule from the explanation of employer benefits, and use clearer links such as “In addition” or “As a result.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough relevant vocabulary to communicate the main message, including “reduce my working hours,” “part time,” “course,” and “benefits.” However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate or repetitive. “Ask a permission” is not a natural expression, while “more techniques and knowledge” is vague; “develop practical skills and deepen my knowledge” would be more precise. “For the sake of our company” also sounds overly dramatic for a workplace request. Spelling errors such as “permision” and “recieve,” along with repeated use of “good” and “knowledge,” reduce the accuracy and polish of the letter. Aim for precise, professional wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Your message is generally understandable, and you attempt to connect ideas in longer sentences, for example, “I want to study part time so i can get more techniques and knowledge.” However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and errors recur in basic sentence formation and punctuation. The opening “First of all have a great day to you!” lacks a comma after its introductory phrase, and “I promise i will do my best of it” has an unclear grammatical construction. Capitalisation of “I” is inconsistent, and several sentences run together without appropriate full stops. Use shorter, complete sentences where needed, and check articles, verb patterns, capital letters, and sentence boundaries before submitting.

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

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