Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Dear Boss,

I hope you are pretty well. I told you this before that I have to go my university 4 days in a week. So that, I really want to reduce my working hours to attend my classes.

You know if i can reduce my work hours then i can focus my study. Therfore, i can give some extra time to my skill. So that i can learn something and implement that in your employer. So i would like to work 10pm to 1pm every working day. That can help to improve myself and my part-time studies help to improve my woking ability.

Thank you for your attention.If you allow me i will be very bless and also thank your for ypur kindness.

sincerely

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the proposed hours, and the benefits to the employer. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of your ideas. For instance, the explanation of how your studies benefit the employer is quite vague ('implement that in your employer'). To improve, you should expand on how your specific course of study will add value to the company's operations. Because the letter is 25 words short of the requirement, it fails to fully develop the points, resulting in a lower score for task achievement.

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. You rely heavily on simple cohesive devices like 'So that' and 'Also', which makes the flow feel repetitive and mechanical. There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect your arguments logically. To reach a higher band, try to vary your transitions and ensure that each sentence flows naturally into the next, rather than relying on a series of short, choppy statements.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'I hope you are pretty well' and 'I told you this before' are too informal for a letter to a boss. There are also errors in word choice, such as 'implement that in your employer' (you should refer to the company or the team, not the employer as a person) and 'I will be very bless' (should be 'blessed'). To improve, you need to use more formal, professional language and demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary related to workplace communication and academic study.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with articles ('go my university'), prepositions ('4 days in a week'), and verb forms ('I will be very bless'). Sentence structures are mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing after commas and periods. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of formal sentence structures. Proofreading for basic errors like 'ypur' and 'woking' is essential to ensure your writing is clear and professional.

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

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