Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-05

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 John,

I hope you are doing well.

I am writing to inform you to reduce my working hours in order to study part time.

Firstly, we should consider the importance of explaining to reduce my working hours which will contribute to the overall efficiency and well-being of the operation. I want to study part-time so that I can get more certified. As a result, it would benefit to my employer.

Also, I want to discuss about the hours which I would like to work. I will work in the afternoon shift. If we take into account the likelihood of special requests, it is expected to have a threefold effect for several reasons.

Futhermore, I would do part-time studies, as it can increase the chance of success, effectiveness, quality of life, and a positive environment in the working place.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Best regards,

Kirandeep Kaur.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task. However, the development of your ideas is quite limited. For example, when explaining why you want to reduce hours, you simply state you want to 'get more certified' without specifying the field of study. Similarly, your explanation of how the employer benefits is vague, using generic phrases like 'positive environment' rather than explaining how your new skills will directly assist the company. To improve, you should provide more specific details and context to make your request more persuasive and professional.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a basic logical structure, and you have used some cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Also', and 'Furthermore'. However, the flow between sentences is often mechanical and sometimes confusing. For instance, the sentence 'it is expected to have a threefold effect for several reasons' is vague and does not clearly connect to the previous point about working hours. Paragraphing is present, but the ideas within the paragraphs lack a smooth progression. To reach a higher band, focus on using cohesive devices more naturally and ensuring that each sentence clearly builds upon the previous one.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite repetitive and lacks precision. Phrases like 'get more certified' and 'discuss about' are either informal or grammatically incorrect. You rely on generic academic-sounding phrases like 'take into account the likelihood' which do not fit the context of a letter to a boss. To improve, focus on using more natural, professional collocations suitable for a workplace request. Avoid using complex-sounding phrases if you are not certain of their exact meaning or usage in this specific context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are several grammatical errors throughout the letter that impact clarity. For example, 'inform you to reduce' should be 'inform you that I would like to reduce', and 'benefit to my employer' is incorrect usage. You have attempted some complex sentence structures, but they often contain errors or awkward phrasing, such as 'explaining to reduce my working hours'. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents a higher score. Focus on mastering basic sentence patterns and ensuring correct verb-preposition combinations before attempting more complex structures.

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

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