Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-06

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 sir,

I am writing this letter to inform you about one situation which just arrived in my life and that is i have started a diploma in Business and arts So i want to lesser my hours of work so i can focus into my study as well

First of all, I want to reduce my hours as i started studying the course which will give benefit to the company also nearby future.Secondly i want to do my work less hours from now like i want just 4 hours per day according to previous schedule in which i was working 8 hours.

Last but not least i want to let you know that how its beneficial for company if i get passed in diploma because when there be ending of my course i already learnt all the basics and complexity of business model so it will definitely help our organization to deal with other countries and vast our company branches.

Kindly regards,

Navjot singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to the employer. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. For example, while you mention the diploma will benefit the company, the explanation remains quite general. To improve, you should provide more specific details about how your new skills will be applied in your current role. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though the opening and closing could be more professional.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your request. You use some basic cohesive devices such as 'First of all' and 'Last but not least' to transition between ideas. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed due to grammatical issues and punctuation errors. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the phrase 'one situation which just arrived in my life'. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph focuses on a single, well-developed idea would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your request clearly. You use some relevant business-related terms like 'diploma', 'business model', and 'organization'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'lesser my hours' (should be 'reduce my hours') and 'vast our company branches' (should be 'expand our company branches'). To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding informal phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement, missing articles, and incorrect tense usage (e.g., 'when there be ending of my course'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with some run-on sentences and missing commas. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to affect the clarity of your message. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would be very beneficial.

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