Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-22

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 Sir or Madam,

I am writing this email because I want to reduce my working hours in order to study part time.

Recently, I am joining the college to study management that’s why I want to reduce my hours at work. It will be more challenging for me to work and attend the classes.

I am suitable working at afternoon because I have morning class. After completing my classes I can come to office directly. My classes will start from 7 am to 11 am which is very convenient and easier to attend early morning classes.

I feel that when I start taking classes then it will help me to work easily and get more knowledge, which will be beneficial for the company in the future. Part-time study is one of the most important education.

I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you

Kind Regards,

Shristi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the preferred hours, and the benefit to the employer. However, the response is slightly under the minimum word count, which impacts the depth of development. The explanation of how the studies benefit the employer is quite brief and could be expanded with more specific details about how management skills apply to your current role. Additionally, the tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, but the brevity prevents a fully professional and persuasive tone.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and mechanical. For example, the transition between the explanation of classes and the benefit to the company is abrupt. There is a reliance on simple sentence structures rather than linking words or phrases that would create a smoother flow between ideas. Improving the use of transition signals like 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in addition' would significantly improve the coherence of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. Phrases like 'I am suitable working' and 'get more knowledge' are somewhat simplistic and unnatural. There are also minor issues with word choice, such as 'one of the most important education', which is grammatically incorrect and imprecise. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more specific professional terminology related to your workplace and studies, and ensure that collocations are used accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentences, but there are frequent grammatical errors. For instance, 'Recently, I am joining' should be 'I have recently enrolled in', and 'I am suitable working at afternoon' should be 'I would prefer to work in the afternoon'. There are also issues with tense consistency and preposition usage. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to distract the reader and indicate a need for more careful proofreading and practice with verb tenses.

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

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