Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-15

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,

I am writing this letter regarding to reduce my working hours because I want to do part time study which is supportive for the company.

I would be happy if the working hours will reduce due to my part time study . As a result, I get admission in degree of computer science ,it is also beneficial for me in my office work. Besides, I would like to do wok in stated hours that is 9am to 12pm, there by these hours are perfect for my work ,rest of the day i will do my study.

Despite I believe this study would be helped in our office and it will help to grow it economically globally.

Additionally, I request a lower the business hours so that it would valuable for me as well as company.

I look forward for your prompt response and a satisfactory solution for this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Grace

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: the reason for the request, the specific hours desired, and the benefits to the employer. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited. For instance, the explanation of how the computer science degree benefits the company is vague and lacks specific detail. While the tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, the brevity of the arguments prevents the response from reaching a higher band. To improve, you should expand on the connection between your studies and your specific job responsibilities to make a more persuasive case to your employer.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which is appropriate for a formal request. There is a basic logical progression from the introduction to the specific request and the justification. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as the phrase 'there by these hours' and the awkward transition 'Despite I believe'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, which disrupts the flow of the argument. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words would help the ideas connect more naturally and improve the overall readability of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message, but it is quite limited and repetitive. There are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors, such as 'regarding to reduce' instead of 'regarding reducing' and 'do wok' (a spelling error). The phrasing 'lower the business hours' is also unnatural in this context. To achieve a higher score, you should aim to use more precise professional terminology and ensure that your collocations are accurate. Focus on learning common phrases used in business correspondence to sound more natural and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and some attempted complex structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with verb forms ('will reduce' instead of 'would like to reduce'), missing articles, and incorrect sentence construction ('Despite I believe this study would be helped'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing around commas. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors indicate a lack of control over complex structures. You should focus on mastering basic sentence patterns and subject-verb agreement before attempting more complex grammatical forms.

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

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