Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-03

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 5.0)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter to seek a reduction in my work hours to study part-time in the course to which I gained admission.

I recently got admission in the univeristy of Nigeria, to study International Studies and Diplomacy. one of the main reasons I consider reduction in my work hours is the distance of the university to my house of which it will affect my work hours.I do have classes that do end late afternon, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday of which clashes with my working hours, making it difficult for me to be at work on time

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to address all parts of the task. While you mention the reason for the reduction and the university, you have not specified which hours you would like to work, nor have you described how your studies would benefit your employer. Furthermore, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which severely limits your ability to develop the required points. To improve, ensure you cover every bullet point in the prompt and expand on your ideas to meet the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter lacks a clear structure. There is no proper closing, and the paragraphing is insufficient. While there is a basic attempt to link ideas, the lack of development makes the flow feel disjointed. You should use clear paragraph breaks for each bullet point and employ cohesive devices such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in addition' to connect your thoughts more logically.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'got admission' and 'main reasons' are functional but lack the sophistication expected for a higher band. There are also errors in word choice, such as 'in the course to which I gained admission', which is slightly unnatural. Expanding your range of vocabulary to include more formal, business-appropriate terminology would significantly improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The text contains several grammatical errors, including punctuation issues and awkward sentence construction. For example, 'distance of the university to my house of which it will affect' is grammatically incorrect and confusing. There is a lack of complex sentence structures, and the existing sentences are often run-on or poorly punctuated. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and using a variety of sentence types will help improve your accuracy and range.

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

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