Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-16

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 kim,

I’m writing a letter to you in case of reducing my working hours because I’m going to start my studies as I’m taking a course of early childhood education. Thats why, i will not be able to work full time.

I would prefer to work for 2 days only from 9 to 5 pm.

According to me, my studies will be beneficial for me as this course is in demand right now and i have interest in this course too as i love to take care of kids to know how a child develop from their early years. After done with this course, i can find good job in this field which will be the great opportunity for me to earn good money in future as well.

Yours sincerely

Harpreet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter covers all three bullet points, but the development of ideas is insufficient, leading to a failure to meet the minimum word count requirement. While you explain the reason for the request and specify the desired hours, the final point regarding how your studies benefit the employer is weak. You focus primarily on personal gain (earning more money) rather than explaining how your new skills in early childhood education would add value to your current workplace. To improve, you should expand on how the knowledge gained from your course can be applied to your current duties to help the company.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear opening and closing. However, the use of cohesive devices is very limited, making the flow somewhat mechanical. For example, the transition between the reason for the request and the proposed hours is abrupt. Paragraphing is also insufficient; the entire body of the letter is contained within one block, which hinders readability. To reach a higher band, you should use a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in addition') and ensure each main idea is presented in a separate, well-structured paragraph.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for a basic letter but lacks the range and precision expected for higher bands. You rely on simple, repetitive phrasing such as 'good job', 'good money', and 'take care of kids'. There are also some awkward collocations, such as 'in case of reducing my working hours', which is not natural in this context. To improve, try to incorporate more professional and specific terminology related to your field of study and the workplace environment to demonstrate a more sophisticated command of the language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'After done with this course' (should be 'After finishing this course'), 'how a child develop' (should be 'how a child develops'), and the inconsistent use of capitalization for the pronoun 'i'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of commas and the lack of a formal sign-off structure. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent capitalization will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

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

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