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)

Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing letter to inform you about that i have to reduce my working hours due to studies. .

It is dificult for me to do both things together as in night i am taking the classes, so i have less time to sleep i did not get engery for next day.

I will perfer if you give me afternoon hours whereas it is manageble for me to do work with focus and give my best in it.

I am studing master of managment which will help me to get new ideas about work.

i look forward for your reply

kind regards

aman

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the preferred hours, and the benefits to the employer. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which severely limits the development of ideas. The explanation of why the studies benefit the employer is very brief and lacks the necessary detail to be considered fully developed. To improve, you must expand on your points to meet the length requirement and provide more depth, such as explaining exactly how your management studies will improve your current work performance.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter is very short, making it difficult to demonstrate a range of cohesive devices. While there is a basic logical progression from the purpose of the letter to the specific request and the benefits, the lack of paragraphing and the limited use of linking words make the text feel disjointed. The transition between sentences is abrupt. To improve, you should use clear paragraph breaks for each section of the letter and incorporate a wider variety of cohesive devices such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in addition' to connect your ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive. There are several spelling errors, such as 'dificult', 'engery', 'perfer', 'manageble', and 'studing'. The range of vocabulary is limited, relying on simple, everyday words. To achieve a higher band score, you need to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary related to professional requests and academic study. Focus on using more precise terminology and ensure that your spelling is accurate, as frequent errors can distract the reader and impede the professional tone of the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing articles ('in night'), incorrect verb forms ('I am writing letter'), and punctuation issues. The sentence structures are mostly simple, and there is a lack of complex sentence forms. For example, 'I am writing letter to inform you about that i have to reduce...' contains multiple errors. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and the correct use of articles. Aim to incorporate more complex structures, such as conditional sentences or relative clauses, while ensuring they are grammatically accurate.

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

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