Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-04

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)

Subject: Request for reducing work hours

Dear Sir,

As you know I have been working in sales department from the last four years with additional responsibility of marketing tasks, so having a medical background of Pharmacy now I have decided to upgrade my skills and uplift myself, that is why I want to get admission in MBA in National College of Business Administration and Economics. My class time would be in the evening starting from 6pm to 9pm. I want to request you to reduce my work hours starting from 9am to 5pm.

In addition I assure you that it will not have any impact on my sales performance and for sure I will be achieving my budget as I have been achieving previously .

Further my degree of MBA Marketing will be an additive advantage for me and I will be serving the Marketing department in the organization with full confidence.

yours Sincerely.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt: the reason for the request, the specific hours desired, and the benefits to the employer. However, the development of these points is somewhat thin. For instance, the benefit to the employer is mentioned briefly as an 'additive advantage' without explaining how the MBA skills specifically translate into value for the company. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal request, though it lacks the professional polish expected in a business context. To reach a higher band, you should expand on how your studies will specifically enhance your current role or the company's operations.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is logically organized, with a clear progression from the request to the justification and the benefits. Paragraphing is present, though the structure is slightly disjointed due to the brevity of the paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition' and 'Further' are used to link ideas, but the flow between sentences can feel a bit mechanical. The transition between your current background and your future study plans could be smoother to create a more cohesive narrative. Overall, the message is easy to follow, but the use of linking words could be more varied and sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'upgrade my skills' and 'additive advantage'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'working in sales department from the last four years' (should be 'for the last four years') and 'uplift myself'. The vocabulary is functional but lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. To improve, focus on using more natural business collocations and ensuring that your word choices are contextually accurate for a formal letter to a superior.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as missing articles ('in sales department' should be 'in the sales department') and punctuation issues (e.g., 'yours Sincerely.' should be 'Yours sincerely,'). There are also some run-on sentences, such as the first sentence, which is overly long and lacks proper punctuation. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article usage.

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.