Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Dear sir

I would like to share my personal thoughts to you that I am keenly interested to pursue my study . I had a childhood dream to do graduation . But somehow, I had not parental support that’s why I could not pursue my graduation as well .This is my humble request you to sir to reduce my working hours .So that I could give my precious time to study .I want to give you detail about working hours that morning time I will dedicate to study and rest of my time will be given to job.By studying part time I will learn more skill to work more efficiently.This also will give huge benefits to company .

Your faithfully

Kuldeep

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points, but the development of ideas is insufficient. The explanation for wanting to study is brief, the specific hours are not clearly defined (e.g., 'morning time' is vague), and the benefits to the employer are stated in very general terms. Furthermore, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which severely limits the ability to fully develop the points as required by the task. To improve, you must expand on your ideas with more detail and ensure the letter meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter lacks a clear paragraph structure, which is essential for a formal letter. The sentences are somewhat disjointed, and there is a lack of cohesive devices to link ideas smoothly. For example, the transition between your childhood dream and the request to reduce hours is abrupt. Using linking words such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in addition' would help improve the flow. Additionally, the opening and closing salutations are not standard for a formal business letter; 'Dear Sir/Madam' and 'Yours sincerely' would be more appropriate.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'share my personal thoughts' and 'give you detail' are slightly unnatural in a professional context. There is limited use of less common or topic-specific vocabulary. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise professional terminology, such as 'professional development', 'academic pursuits', or 'mutually beneficial arrangement'. The current range is adequate for basic communication but lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher scores.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with articles ('the company'), prepositions ('thoughts to you' should be 'thoughts with you'), and sentence structure. The sentence 'This is my humble request you to sir to reduce my working hours' is awkward and grammatically incorrect. While the meaning is generally understandable, the lack of complex sentence structures and the persistent errors in basic grammar prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and using more varied sentence patterns.

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

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