Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-19

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 4.0)

Dear Ahmad , I always work in the time i have been given. I never think of volunteering to the work by adding more hours with no money . You might think I'm Conceited But the truth is , When you add more hours to your work , you will not get more money or the manager will be happy in you . the time you work normally the manager will say your not working good . And never think also in giving someone more than he should take . I would love to work early 6 am , So i can finish my work early and see my children or have fun . Also try to learn new things related to your work so you can see the work easier .For a example , If you learned new words in work or keep repeating words inside your work or things like that , That will make it faster and more perfect. So you might need to work like this

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to address the core requirements of the task. While you mention wanting to work early, you do not clearly state that you wish to reduce your total working hours to study part-time. The content is largely irrelevant, focusing on personal grievances about workplace culture and unpaid overtime rather than the professional request required by the prompt. Furthermore, you do not explain how your studies would benefit your employer; instead, you suggest that learning new words makes work 'faster'. The tone is inappropriate for a formal letter to a boss, appearing confrontational rather than professional.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The letter lacks a logical structure. It is written as a single block of text rather than using appropriate paragraphing for different points. There is no clear progression of ideas; the transition between your complaints about the workplace and your request to change hours is abrupt and confusing. Cohesive devices are largely absent or misused, such as the awkward use of 'For a example' and 'Also try to learn', which makes the text feel disjointed and difficult to follow. The lack of a formal closing also impacts the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.5

The vocabulary is limited and often used incorrectly. Phrases like 'volunteering to the work' and 'manager will be happy in you' are unnatural and demonstrate a lack of control over collocations. You use informal and emotive language, such as 'Conceited' and 'have fun', which is unsuitable for a formal business letter. There is significant repetition of basic words like 'work' and 'time', and the attempt to use more complex vocabulary is unsuccessful, leading to confusion in meaning. A wider range of professional vocabulary is needed to convey your request effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that often impede communication. There are consistent issues with subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'the manager will say your not working good'), incorrect pronoun usage, and punctuation errors, such as spaces before commas. Sentence structures are simple and often fragmented. The use of 'your' instead of 'you are' and the misuse of prepositions are persistent throughout the text. While the meaning can sometimes be inferred, the high frequency of errors makes the writing difficult to read and unprofessional.

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