Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-23

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,

I am writing to request a reduction in my working hours . I recently decided to purse part time studies alongside my employment . I believe that this arrangement would allow ,e to improve my professional knowledge while to contribute to effectively yto the organisation.

At present i work full time from 9 am to 5pm. However , i would like to reduce my hours to four days a week , preferably from 9 am to 3 pm . this schedule would give me sufficient time to attentd my classs , complete assignment and prepare for examination. I would be happy to discuss an alternative time table if these hours are not convenient for the departnemt

I an confident my studies would also benefit the organisation in the long term the additional knowledge aand practical skill

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to the employer. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum requirement, which negatively impacts the development of your ideas. Specifically, the final paragraph is incomplete and lacks a clear conclusion, leaving the argument about the benefits to the employer underdeveloped. To improve, ensure you fully expand on each point and meet the length requirement to provide a complete and professional letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical structure with clear paragraphing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'At present' and 'However' to transition between ideas. However, the flow is interrupted by the incomplete final sentence, which lacks a proper ending. The use of paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, but the overall progression is hindered by the brevity of the text. To reach a higher band, ensure that each paragraph is fully developed and that you use a wider range of linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, using terms like 'reduction', 'arrangement', and 'professional knowledge'. However, there are several spelling errors throughout the text, such as 'purse' (pursue), 'attentd' (attend), 'classs' (classes), and 'departnemt' (department). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable. To improve, you should focus on proofreading your work to correct basic spelling mistakes and attempt to incorporate more precise, topic-specific vocabulary to demonstrate a wider range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in punctuation, such as missing spaces after commas and periods, as well as capitalization errors (e.g., 'i' instead of 'I'). Additionally, there are grammatical slips like 'while to contribute' instead of 'while contributing'. While the meaning remains clear, these errors occur frequently. Focusing on basic sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, and standard punctuation will help you achieve a higher score.

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

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