Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · 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 4.5)

Dear Jashan,

Hope you're in a radiant health and high spirits. I'm glad to know that you're planning to learn a new language.

Since learning a new language very interesting but sometimes it's hard to choose right language to learn. I would suggest you to learn French, as it is second language of Canada and spoken in many other nations.

Being worldwide famous language to speak , it opens vast opportunities for travelers, jobseekers to enjoy and expand their career. Apart from this it would also help to boost the CRS score in order to receive permanent residency of Canada.

Although, it takes time to learn a new language, you can try watching introduction videos on Youtube or could learn the most trusted platform Duolingo. After basic knowledge, you can join classes at your nearby school.

Hope you find this relatable to your preference.

With love

Navkaran

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 2.0

The response is completely off-topic. The task required a letter to a boss requesting a reduction in working hours to study part-time. Instead, the student wrote a letter to a friend (Jashan) suggesting they learn French. Because the prompt was entirely ignored, the task achievement is severely compromised. Furthermore, the response failed to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, coming in at 147 words. Consequently, the response does not address any of the bullet points regarding working hours or employer benefits. To improve, it is essential to read the prompt carefully and ensure the content directly answers the specific requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter is organised into short paragraphs, which is appropriate for the format. However, the logical progression is irrelevant to the task. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Apart from this' and 'Although', but they are used to connect ideas that do not fulfill the task requirements. The referencing is clear, but the overall structure does not serve the purpose of a formal request letter. To improve, focus on ensuring that each paragraph directly relates to the specific bullet points provided in the instructions, creating a logical flow that addresses the prompt's requirements.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is generally simple and repetitive. There are some awkward collocations, such as 'radiant health and high spirits' and 'worldwide famous language'. While the student attempts to use some topic-specific vocabulary related to language learning (e.g., 'permanent residency', 'jobseekers'), the range is limited and not relevant to the actual task of requesting a work schedule change. Spelling is generally accurate, but the lack of precision and the misuse of vocabulary in a professional context limit the score. Expanding the range of vocabulary to include more formal, business-appropriate language would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. For example, 'Since learning a new language very interesting' is missing a verb, and 'I would suggest you to learn' is grammatically incorrect (should be 'suggest that you learn'). There are also issues with articles, such as 'second language of Canada' and 'receive permanent residency of Canada', which should include 'the'. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors indicates a lack of control over complex structures. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct sentence construction will help improve accuracy.

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

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