Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-07-31

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,

I am writing this to request you regarding my evening course which I am unable to attend.

I am moving to this new city 2 days ago, and recently my mother got ill, she is a diabetic person, also she has cervical problem as well. Her condition has become critical due to avoiding dose of medicines. So, doctor advice us to take care of her ,otherwise, some major problems may occur that leads to operation.

I am unable to proceed my course due to family issues. If possible , could you please defer my course to next semester. It would be helpful for me because one of my relatives is coming from Delhi in next semester to take care of my mother.

Please suggest me any other way as well if possible to continue my study. It would be great help for me.

Waiting for your prompt response!

Yours faithfully,

Jaspreet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response fails to address the task instructions entirely. The prompt asks for a letter to a boss requesting a reduction in working hours to study part-time, including specific details about the requested hours and the benefits to the employer. Instead, the student has written a letter to an educational institution requesting to defer a course due to personal family health issues. Because the content does not relate to the prompt provided, the task achievement is severely compromised as the purpose of the letter is completely different from the instructions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into short paragraphs, which is appropriate for the format. However, the logical progression is hindered by the fact that the content does not match the prompt. There is some use of cohesive devices such as 'If possible' and 'It would be helpful', but the overall flow is disjointed because the premise of the letter is unclear and disconnected from the required task. The referencing is generally clear, but the lack of relevance to the task instructions makes the overall coherence weak.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive. While the student is able to communicate their personal situation, the range is limited and lacks the professional tone required for a formal letter to a boss or an institution. There are errors in word choice, such as 'avoiding dose of medicines' (instead of 'missing doses') and 'cervical problem' (which is vague). The language is sufficient for simple communication but lacks the precision and variety expected for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains several grammatical errors that impact clarity. Examples include 'I am moving to this new city 2 days ago' (incorrect tense usage), 'doctor advice us' (should be 'advised'), and 'that leads to operation' (missing article). The sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of errors in basic verb tenses and subject-verb agreement is noticeable and indicates a lack of control over grammatical structures.

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