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 Mr. Smith,

I am writing for you to ask you to reduce my working hours in the next month.

I am studying part time marketing course and I have an exam in the next month so I need to attend the exam in the center.

I would like to change my duty in the workdays to the afternoon shift. I mean I will start at 2:00 pm up to 9:00 pm.

I would like to inform you that this course will help me to enhance my skills in my job, because I learnt new skills and techniques that will reflect perfectly on the selling numbers of your company.

I am looking forward to having your concern.

Yours faithfully,

Manal Malakani

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the proposed hours, and the benefits to the employer. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. The explanation of benefits is somewhat generic, and the overall length prevents a more professional and persuasive tone. To improve, you should expand on how your specific marketing studies will translate into tangible results for the company, and ensure you meet the word count to allow for a more complete response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure of your request. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'because' and 'I mean' to connect ideas. However, the transitions between paragraphs are somewhat abrupt, and the overall flow could be improved with more sophisticated linking words. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, but the brevity of the content makes the progression feel a bit mechanical. Increasing the length would allow for better development of ideas and more natural transitions between your points.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. You use some relevant terms like 'marketing course' and 'techniques', but there is a lack of variety and precision. Phrases like 'selling numbers' are slightly unnatural; 'sales figures' would be more appropriate in a business context. You also rely on simple sentence structures and repetitive phrasing. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more specific business-related collocations and avoid repeating the same words. Expanding your vocabulary will help you sound more professional and persuasive in your communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I am writing for you to ask you' (redundant) and 'I am studying part time marketing course' (missing article). Additionally, 'I learnt new skills' is acceptable, but 'I have learned' would be more precise in this context. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to affect the overall clarity. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles will help improve your accuracy.

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

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