Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-21

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)

Hello boss,

I am discuss about my working hours because I take part time studies in order to gain new knowledge about other things. So, I want to reduce my working hours because I wanted to focus on studies properly without any stress of work. I can work only 20 hours a week now because of study load. According to me, it’s beneficial for my job as well because I am doing diploma in business administration so with the helping of this course I get to know about so many new things like how to run business and be the profit and how to deal with customers and work in fat pace environment so I can manage everything in proper way without anyone help and always help customers whenever they need .

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the specific hours desired, and the benefits to the employer. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of ideas. The explanation of benefits is somewhat repetitive and lacks professional depth. To improve, you should expand on how your specific studies in business administration will translate into tangible value for your company, such as improved efficiency or specific skills you can apply to your current role. The tone is also overly informal for a letter to a boss.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter lacks a formal structure, such as an appropriate opening and closing. The response is written as a single block of text, which makes it difficult to follow. There is a lack of paragraphing, and the use of cohesive devices is very limited. Phrases like 'So' and 'According to me' are used in a way that feels conversational rather than professional. To improve, you should use clear paragraph breaks for each point requested in the prompt and use a wider range of linking words to connect your ideas logically.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'gain new knowledge about other things' and 'get to know about so many new things' are imprecise and lack the professional tone required for a formal request. There are also errors in word choice, such as 'fat pace environment' (likely meaning 'fast-paced') and 'with the helping of this course'. To reach a higher band, you need to use more precise, professional vocabulary related to business and academic study, and ensure your collocations are accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'I am discuss' (should be 'I am writing to discuss'), 'I take part time studies' (should be 'I am taking'), and 'without anyone help' (should be 'without anyone's help'). The sentence structures are mostly simple or contain errors when attempting more complex ideas. The punctuation is also inconsistent, with run-on sentences that make the text difficult to read. You need to focus on subject-verb agreement, correct verb tenses, and using more varied, accurate sentence structures.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.