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,

I am writing to request you to reduce my working hours so that I can pursue my part-time studies in advanced English language skills.

As I am currently working full-time an assistant manager at your workplace. My scheduled shifts usually varied every following weeks with no fixed shifts. Although I had no problems working on these scheduled shifts, I believe due to my new advanced course which might be scheduled after 1pm in the afternoons. As a result, I would not be able to show up for my scheduled shifts in the afternoons. Therefore, to avoid these inconvenience, it would be beneficial if I would update my availability.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to address all parts of the task. While you mention the reason for the request (English studies), you do not clearly specify which hours you would like to work, nor do you describe how your studies would benefit the employer. Furthermore, the letter is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which severely limits your ability to develop your ideas. To improve, you must ensure every bullet point in the prompt is addressed with sufficient detail and supporting information. Currently, the response is incomplete and lacks the necessary depth to meet the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter lacks a clear structure and paragraphing. The ideas are presented in a fragmented manner, making the progression of the argument difficult to follow. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link sentences, and the overall arrangement is not logical. To improve, you should organize your letter into clear paragraphs: an introduction stating the purpose, a body paragraph for each bullet point in the prompt, and a formal closing. Using transition words like 'consequently', 'furthermore', and 'in addition' would help improve the flow and logical connection between your ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'show up' and 'inconvenience' are used, but there is little attempt to use more sophisticated or precise language suitable for a formal business letter. There are also errors in word choice, such as 'update my availability' which is vague in this context. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to use a wider range of vocabulary related to professional settings, such as 'propose', 'mutually beneficial', or 'professional development'. Focus on using words that accurately convey your meaning in a formal tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. For example, 'As I am currently working full-time an assistant manager' is a sentence fragment. The phrase 'my scheduled shifts usually varied every following weeks' contains tense and pluralization errors. Additionally, 'it would be beneficial if I would update' is grammatically awkward. You rely on simple sentence structures, and your attempts at more complex sentences are often inaccurate. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct tense usage, and ensuring that every sentence has a clear subject and verb.

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

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