Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-10

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'm writing to inform about decreasing my working hours. I'm managing accounting in business department in your company.

However, now I decide to take chartered accountant classes to enhance my experience and future. I'm currently employee in your office at morning time. So now I would like to work at evening time just five hours a day because in the morning time I have to attend my online classes and then some time for my study. I'm able to do it job on weekdays. If you don't mind please make a new schedule me for me. Moreover, for I have to do job because spent on my daily expenses. Not only this but I also want my schedule busy. And about my study this course is help me in the future to get high qualification job in other countries too.

I hope you will understand my situation and reduce my working hours.

Kind regards,

Dhruvi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in 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 example, the explanation of how your studies benefit the employer is quite vague, stating only that it will help you get a job in other countries, which does not clearly articulate the value to your current company. To improve, you should focus more on how the new skills gained from your accounting classes will directly improve your performance or efficiency in your current role.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical sequence, moving from the request to the details and then the justification. However, the paragraphing is insufficient, as the entire body of the letter is contained within one block, which makes it harder to follow. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'Not only this', some transitions feel mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'Not only this but I also want my schedule busy.' Improving the use of paragraph breaks and refining the flow between sentences would significantly enhance the clarity of your message.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety expected at higher bands. You rely on basic phrasing, such as 'do it job' and 'get high qualification job'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'managing accounting in business department' and 'I also want my schedule busy'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more professional, business-appropriate terminology and ensure that your word choices are accurate in context. Expanding your range of synonyms for common verbs would also be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter that occasionally impede the flow of reading. Examples include 'I'm writing to inform about decreasing' (missing object), 'I'm currently employee' (missing article), and 'this course is help me' (incorrect verb form). You rely mostly on simple sentence structures, and attempts at more complex sentences often contain errors in syntax or word order. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, specifically subject-verb agreement, the correct use of articles, and ensuring that verb tenses are used consistently throughout your writing.

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

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