Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-14

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 SIR /MADAM

GOOD EVENING ,

i am write a letter about request reduce my job hours due to i decided to pursue study for enhance in valuable skills, as well as i decided to study in same field for gain pratical knowledge .Moreover , i would continue mt session of course every tuesday and friday this course will be for upcoming six month so i want less hours during my study if i could opportunity then i will be focuse on both side with full concentration .

with the support of part time study i can learn developing skills which would be fruitfull for my employer because after leaning thing from study we will implement in work which can run good business .

i would be appreciate if you would accept my request with reduce hours for six month i am pleasure i got opportunity about this discussion .

thanks ,

your sincerely

kamalpreet kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the specific hours, and the benefit to the employer. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited. The explanation of how the studies will benefit the employer is vague, stating only that it will 'run good business.' To achieve a higher band, you need to provide more specific details about how the skills gained will directly improve your performance or contribute to the company's goals. The tone is also somewhat inconsistent for a formal letter to a boss.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter lacks clear paragraphing, which makes it difficult to follow the logical progression of your argument. While you use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'because,' the overall structure is disjointed. The sentences are often run-on or lack proper punctuation, which disrupts the flow of information. To improve, you should organize your letter into distinct paragraphs: one for the request and reason, one for the specific hours, and one for the benefits to the employer, using clear transitions between them.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is somewhat limited and repetitive. Phrases like 'run good business' and 'leaning thing' are imprecise and do not convey a professional tone. There are also several errors in word choice, such as 'i am write' instead of 'I am writing' and 'i am pleasure' instead of 'I would be pleased.' You need to use a wider range of vocabulary related to professional requests and workplace development to demonstrate a better command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with verb tense ('i am write'), subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. Many sentences are fragmented or lack necessary articles and prepositions. For example, 'if i could opportunity' is grammatically incorrect. The lack of proper capitalization and punctuation further impacts the clarity of your writing. You should focus on mastering basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors in tense and word order.

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

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