Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-13

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 5.0)

Dear boss

Hope you are fine i want to discuss that i want to reduce my hour's of work. The main reason is that my studies are very difficult so i have to study. Along with my work i can't give my time to study bcz i m getting tired from my work so i have to reduce my working hours. My part-time studies are beneficial for me bcz it helps me to get a experience and get a great a professional job.

Thank you

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, reaching only 85 words. Consequently, the task is only partially addressed. While you mention the need to reduce hours and touch upon the benefits to the employer, the content is severely underdeveloped. You did not specify which hours you would like to work, which was a key requirement of the prompt. To improve, you must expand on each bullet point with specific details and ensure the letter meets the length requirement to allow for a full development of your ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter lacks a formal structure and appropriate paragraphing. The ideas are presented in a single, short block of text, which makes the progression of the letter feel disjointed. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link sentences together, making the writing feel repetitive and simplistic. To improve, you should use clear paragraph breaks for each bullet point and incorporate linking words such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in addition' to create a smoother flow between your ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is very basic and repetitive, relying on simple words like 'work', 'study', and 'good'. There is a lack of professional or academic terminology that would be expected in a formal letter to an employer. Additionally, there are informal abbreviations such as 'bcz' and 'm', which are inappropriate for a formal task. To improve, you should aim to use more precise, professional vocabulary and avoid all informal shorthand or text-speak.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The grammar is characterized by frequent errors, including punctuation issues (e.g., 'hour's' instead of 'hours') and informal sentence construction. The range of structures is very limited, consisting mostly of simple sentences. There are also issues with capitalization and missing articles. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence structure, ensuring proper subject-verb agreement, and eliminating informal abbreviations. You should also practice using a wider variety of complex sentence structures to demonstrate better control over English grammar.

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

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