Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-11

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\Madam,

Hop you are doing well. I am writing for reducing the working hours in order to study part time.

I would like to inform you that I am selected as Ph.d candidate in computer science at Government college University Lahore. Which is the pioneer institute of Pakistan and had a dream to pursue my further study from GCU. As I am going to join the course on 28th August 2026.

Furthermore, I also want to change the my shift in evening with less working hours so that I can manage manage my studies and career parallel. Additionally this job help me to mitigate the studies expense. Moreover it give me chance to remain in touch with my practical field and make me unable to join full time after completing my study.

However, I am working as web developer in this department so by sudden leave affect my on going project. Therefore, I want to complete all projects smoothly and I would like to utilizes my polish skill here and do more work for this company. Because this is not a institute who gave me opportunity but also loving place with good team. That is why I do not want left it.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Faiza Akram

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and highlighting the benefits to the employer. However, the development of these points is somewhat uneven. While you clearly state your intention to study, the explanation of how your studies will benefit the company is slightly confusing due to phrasing errors, such as saying your studies make you 'unable to join full time'. To improve, ensure your arguments are logically connected and clearly articulated so the reader understands exactly how your professional development adds value to the workplace.

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 'Furthermore', 'Additionally', and 'However' to link your ideas. However, the flow is occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing and sentence structure issues. For example, the transition between your desire to study and your current project responsibilities is a bit abrupt. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of linking words more naturally and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus that transitions smoothly into the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms like 'mitigate', 'pioneer', and 'professional'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward collocations that hinder precision, such as 'make me unable to join full time' (which likely means the opposite) and 'polish skill'. Additionally, there are minor spelling errors like 'Hop' instead of 'Hope'. To improve, focus on learning the correct collocations for professional correspondence and proofread your work to catch simple slips in word choice that change the intended meaning of your sentences.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is a good start. However, the text contains frequent grammatical errors, including issues with article usage ('the my shift'), verb tense consistency ('this job help me'), and subject-verb agreement. Some sentences are also structurally confusing, such as 'This is not a institute who gave me opportunity but also loving place'. These errors occur throughout the letter and occasionally make it difficult for the reader to grasp your exact meaning. Focusing on basic sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement will significantly improve your clarity.

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

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