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 am writing this to express my concern regarding working hours. i want to reduce my working hours in order to take part in study .

now i am working in your company as security guard for 40 hours in a week. i want to take part in French language course.To learn this language ,i have to go college from Monday to Thursday.so i have to reduce my working hours from 40 hours to 20 hours in week.

i would like to work as a part time in your company .i just want to work friday ,saturday and sunday . i would be grateful if you providae me work on ly at weeknd .with the help of this study i can easy handle particulay sites where moslty people came who just knows the french language.

your kind assistance regard this would be highly appricated.

yours faithfully,

Harpreet kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (French language course), specify the desired working hours (Friday to Sunday), and describe the benefit to the employer (assisting French-speaking clients). However, the development of these points is quite basic. For instance, the explanation of how your studies benefit the company could be more detailed to show a stronger professional connection. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though the lack of formal structure and some informal phrasing slightly impacts the overall professional impact of the request.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into a logical sequence, moving from the purpose of the letter to the specific request and the benefits. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and sometimes mechanical. For example, the transition between sentences often relies on simple structures like 'so' or 'now'. Paragraphing is also underdeveloped; the entire body of the letter is presented as a single block, which makes it harder to follow. To improve, you should use a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in addition') and ensure clear paragraph breaks between the introduction, the request, and the conclusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic and repetitive. You use simple terms like 'go college' and 'work' repeatedly. There are also several spelling errors, such as 'providae', 'on ly', 'weeknd', and 'appricated', which distract the reader. While you successfully convey your meaning, the range of vocabulary is limited, and there is little evidence of less common or more precise lexical items. To reach a higher band, focus on using more professional collocations and ensuring accurate spelling of common business-related terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There is a mix of simple sentence structures, but the control of grammar is inconsistent. You frequently omit articles (e.g., 'as security guard' instead of 'as a security guard') and struggle with capitalization (e.g., 'i', 'friday'). Punctuation is also problematic, with spaces missing after commas and periods. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these minor grammatical and mechanical errors is high. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, including the correct use of articles and consistent capitalization, and ensure you proofread for punctuation errors before finishing.

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

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