Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Dear sir/Madam,

i am writing a latter that i want to work less hours, because i am taking part time study to enhance my skills. It is related to AI.

It would be great if i work in morning from 9am to 3pm. After that i will do my studies. if you can do that it will be very helpful for me.

My part time study will help to get productivity in less hour , because it's belong to AI. So we will save more time on work and get more work.

Your Faithfully,

kamalpreet singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the development of ideas. While you have addressed all three bullet points—explaining the reason for the request, specifying the hours, and describing the benefits to the employer—the content is underdeveloped. The explanation regarding how AI studies will benefit the employer is vague and lacks the necessary detail to be persuasive. To improve, you need to expand on your points by providing specific examples of how your new skills will add value to the company and by using a more professional, formal tone suitable for a letter to a manager.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which is appropriate for a formal letter. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed due to the brevity of the text. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link sentences and ideas smoothly. For example, the transition between your request and the explanation of benefits is abrupt. Using linking words such as 'consequently,' 'furthermore,' or 'in addition to this' would help improve the flow and logical connection between your paragraphs. The opening and closing salutations are present, though 'Your Faithfully' is grammatically incorrect; it should be 'Yours faithfully'.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite limited and repetitive. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'work less hours' and 'get more work.' There is little evidence of less common lexical items or an awareness of professional collocations. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise business-related vocabulary. For instance, instead of 'get more work,' you could use 'increase operational efficiency' or 'streamline workflows.' Additionally, there are minor errors in word choice, such as 'it's belong to AI,' which is grammatically incorrect and unnatural. Expanding your range of vocabulary will help you express your ideas with greater clarity and professional impact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors that affect the overall quality. There are issues with article usage ('a latter'), subject-verb agreement ('i am writing a latter that i want to work less hours'), and sentence structure. The use of 'i' instead of the capitalized 'I' is a consistent error throughout the text. While the meaning is generally clear, the range of grammatical structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. To improve, you should practice using a mix of complex and compound sentences and ensure that basic punctuation and capitalization rules are followed consistently.

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

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