Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-12

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 Boss,

I writting this letter to inform you that i want to reduce my working hours in your company because i would like to get a part time studies that i used in the future.It is very important to people like me to have a opportunities someday to get a great work or to have a business.

I request that 5-8pm because its fit on my schedule, my work in your company is 8 am to 4pm and thats a regular day.

Its benefit on you because you can less a money during that period of my part time studies.

I look forward to your response.

Yours Sincerly,

Lemuel Marciano

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the main purpose by explaining that you want to study part time, proposing a work schedule, and mentioning a possible benefit to the company. However, the reasons and benefit are only briefly stated: “get a great work or to have a business” does not clearly explain your study plans, while “you can less a money” gives an unclear and potentially unpersuasive advantage. The requested hours are also ambiguous: “5-8pm” appears to conflict with your stated 8 am to 4 pm workday, and you do not clarify whether you mean a revised shift or reduced hours. The response is 39 words below the required minimum, which limits how fully you can develop the three points. Add specific details and make a clear, polite request.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable overall arrangement: you state your request, give proposed hours, mention a benefit, and close with a response request. The separate paragraphs help distinguish these points. However, progression is quite abrupt, and the connection between studying and the proposed schedule is not explained. For example, “I request that 5-8pm” follows the reason for studying without clarifying how those hours fit your current shift. The benefit paragraph is also very short, so the reader cannot follow the reasoning behind it. Use linking phrases to show cause and effect, and develop each point in a fuller paragraph. A more specific opening and a conventional, respectful closing would also make the letter flow more naturally.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use basic vocabulary relevant to the task, including “reduce my working hours,” “part time studies,” and “schedule,” so the general purpose is understandable. However, the range is limited, and several inaccurate word choices or collocations make important ideas unclear. “Get a part time studies” is not a natural way to describe enrolling in a course, and “you can less a money” does not express the intended benefit clearly. There are also spelling and form issues, such as “Sincerly.” Choose precise phrases for your course, proposed schedule, and the skills your employer could gain from your studies. A wider set of workplace and education vocabulary would help you explain the request more convincingly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

Most sentences use simple structures, and you attempt to connect ideas in the opening with “because.” However, errors in sentence construction and basic forms occur often enough to make parts of the message difficult to interpret. For example, “I writting this letter” needs a correctly formed verb, and “i would like to get a part time studies that i used in the future” has problems with articles, number, and clause structure. In “I request that 5-8pm,” the sentence is incomplete because the requested arrangement is not expressed as a full clause. Capitalise “I” consistently and check verb forms, articles, and sentence boundaries. Practising clear request patterns such as “I would like to work…” will improve accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.