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 i am working in your company,i am also continuing my studies for getting further knowledge and education in thus field.My working hours are from 9 to 5.can you please reduce my working hours soo that i can focus on my studies and i am also very eager to be very productive and want to keep my knowledge and skills updated. My hectic routine of work make me tired and anxious.soo in this situation how could i be focused on my part time studies as you know the more i am skilled the more i will be beneficial for me employer.Please give me 1 hour relaxation.In the meanwhile i will be doing my part time studies.I am very diligent and motivated employer of your company.your favour in this regard will help me alot and it will also be very valuable to my employer.i am doing well hope you will understand

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to the employer. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, while you mention that your studies will be beneficial, you do not specify what you are studying or how it directly relates to your current role. The tone is also slightly informal and inconsistent for a formal letter to a boss. To improve, ensure you provide more specific details and maintain a professional, polite tone throughout the correspondence.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter lacks clear paragraphing, which makes the progression of ideas feel rushed and disjointed. You have used some cohesive devices like 'in the meanwhile' and 'in this situation', but the overall structure is quite mechanical. The lack of a clear opening and closing salutation (beyond the initial 'Dear') and the absence of distinct paragraphs for each point hinder the flow. To reach a higher band, you should organize your letter into clear paragraphs: one for the request, one for the explanation, and one for the benefits, ensuring each idea transitions smoothly into the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is quite repetitive and lacks the precision required for a formal business letter. For example, you use the word 'employer' when you likely mean 'company' or 'manager', and 'relaxation' is not the most appropriate term for a reduction in working hours. There are also several spelling errors, such as 'soo' instead of 'so' and 'alot' instead of 'a lot'. To improve, focus on using more formal business terminology and proofread carefully to eliminate basic spelling mistakes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, and capitalization throughout the text. You often omit capital letters at the start of sentences (e.g., 'i am working', 'can you please'), and there are issues with subject-verb agreement and sentence structure, such as 'My hectic routine of work make me tired'. While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are frequent enough to cause some distraction. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, ensure every sentence begins with a capital letter, and practice using more complex sentence structures accurately.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.