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 boss,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to inform you that I want to change my working schedule.Currently , my schedule is too busy because of this Iam not able to have enough time for my course. Iam pursuing a course to enhance my skills for future oppportunities which is equally beneficial to me and our organisation. I have classes from monday to wednesdsay. So , i will be available to work from thursday to sunday. Kindly let me know if this schedule works for you.

Regards,

Harshpreet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the proposed schedule, 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 benefits is quite brief, and the overall tone is somewhat informal for a formal request to a boss. To improve, you must expand on your points—for example, by detailing exactly how your new skills will be applied to specific tasks at work—to ensure the response is sufficiently developed and meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized, moving from the purpose of the letter to the specific request and the justification. However, the paragraphing is insufficient; the entire body is contained in a single, short paragraph. The use of cohesive devices is minimal, with only basic transitions like 'so' and 'because of this'. To achieve a higher band, you should use a wider range of linking words and phrases to connect your ideas more fluidly and ensure that your letter is structured into clear, distinct paragraphs for better readability.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is functional but basic. Phrases like 'too busy' and 'enhance my skills' are acceptable but lack sophistication. There are also minor spelling errors, such as 'oppportunities' and 'wednesdsay'. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more precise, professional vocabulary suitable for a workplace context. For example, instead of saying you want to 'change' your schedule, you could use 'adjust' or 'modify'. Expanding your range of vocabulary will help you convey your message with greater clarity and professional tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple sentence structures. There are several punctuation and capitalization errors, such as the lack of a space after the comma in 'Currently ,' and the lowercase 'i' in 'So , i will be'. Additionally, there are minor grammatical slips like 'Iam' (missing space). While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of complex sentence structures and the presence of basic mechanical errors prevent a higher score. You should focus on proofreading for capitalization and spacing, and attempt to use more varied sentence structures.

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

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