Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 wish to inform you that working in this organization has great a Great impact in my personality wish am Grateful .

I, Also want to inform you about my recent studies, i got an admission into the university of Nigeria, Please i humbly request for a reduction in my working hours at the office, so that i will be able to complete my school registration process and also filling my document at various offices at school.

However, i wish to be working in the morning from 8am to 12noon, so that i can quickly return back to school.which i have also discuss this with my working partner to make the work easily and smooth .

I will appreciate so much if you grant me this opportunity and i promise after my studies i will implies what i was taught into the company and also share my knowledge with other staffs for the company to achieve a higher goal .

Best regards

Blessing

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt: the reason for the request, the preferred hours, and the benefits to the employer. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a boss. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the explanation of how the studies will benefit the employer is quite vague, stating only that the student will 'implies what i was taught'. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific details about how your new skills will directly improve your performance or contribute to the company's success.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For instance, the transition 'However, i wish to be working' is used incorrectly, as there is no contrast being made. Additionally, the sentence structure is often fragmented, and the flow between ideas is sometimes interrupted by punctuation errors, such as the misuse of periods and commas. Improving the use of linking words like 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'therefore' would help create a smoother progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. There are several instances of word-choice errors, such as 'filling my document' (instead of 'filing' or 'completing') and 'implies what i was taught' (instead of 'apply'). The range of vocabulary is limited, and there are frequent spelling errors, such as 'staffs' (the plural of staff is 'staff') and inconsistent capitalisation. To improve, focus on using more professional collocations and ensuring that words are used in their correct context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'i wish... wish am Grateful'), incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'i have also discuss'), and persistent punctuation errors, such as starting sentences with lowercase letters and misplacing commas. The misuse of 'i' instead of 'I' throughout the letter is a recurring error that affects the overall professional quality of the writing. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement would significantly improve your score.

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

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