Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-09

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 hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to inform you that recently i planned to take further studies, which causes i have to shorten my work availability. As my studies will be part time so i able to give me part time availabilty rather than full-time.

Moreover, I like to work on late weekdays such as from Thursday to Sunday because I have continuous classes from Monday to Wednesday. Furthermore from Thursday till sunday i am available full day wheather you schedule me 4, 5, 8 hours shift at any time.

I am taking part-time studies because I just realised from one of my cousins that if I do this computer course, i can able to earn more. For instance, by studying that course and then passing a test named COMPTIA, I might be able to increase my pay rate up to $80 per hour.

I really appreciate if you could understand my situation and help me to schedule me for work according to my availability which i have for me so i can focus on my further studies to secure my future to earn better.

Warm regards,

Thank you

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state the reason for the request (part-time studies), specify the preferred working hours (Thursday to Sunday), and explain the benefit to the employer (though this is slightly weak, as you focus more on your personal pay increase than the direct benefit to the company). To improve, you should explicitly state how your new skills will add value to your current workplace, such as by improving efficiency or technical capabilities. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though it 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 cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'Furthermore' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. The referencing is occasionally unclear, such as in the final paragraph where the phrase 'which i have for me' is confusing and redundant. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents would help achieve a higher band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your needs clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'part-time studies' and 'pay rate'. However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'causes i have to shorten' instead of 'means I have to reduce' and 'give me part time availabilty' instead of 'provide my availability'. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'i able to give me' (missing verb 'am' and incorrect pronoun usage), 'wheather you schedule me' (spelling error and awkward structure), and 'i can able to earn' (incorrect modal usage). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the capitalization of 'i'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall clarity and professionalism of your writing.

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

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