Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-25

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 Raman,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this regarding my work hours.

Currently, I am doing study in HRM course at Algoma University. I have to attend classes everyday. Which are very necessary to me for my future.

I want to request you to reduce my working hours so that I can concentrate on my study as well.

I would like to work 6 hours everyday from 6am to 12pm. My classes time is start from 2 pm. In this way I can manage both work and study.

I promise my part-time studies will help us in our business too. As I told you I am doing study Human Resources Management which will definitely help to improve more skills regarding our work.

I hope you will understand me and approve my request. Looking forward to your response.

Kind regards,

Prabh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to the employer. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum, which impacts the development of your ideas. While the purpose of the letter is clear, the explanation of how your studies will benefit the employer is somewhat brief and could be expanded with more specific examples of how your HRM knowledge will be applied to your current role to better persuade your manager.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical structure, moving from the purpose of the letter to the specific request and finally the justification. You use basic paragraphing to separate your ideas. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited. Many sentences are short and choppy, and there is a lack of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'therefore') to connect your ideas more fluidly. Improving the transition between your request and the benefits to the company would significantly improve the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. You rely on simple phrasing such as 'doing study' and 'very necessary'. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more precise collocations and academic vocabulary related to the workplace and education. For instance, instead of 'doing study', you could use 'pursuing a qualification'. There are no major spelling errors, but the range of vocabulary is restricted, which limits your ability to express your ideas with nuance or professional tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. For example, 'I am doing study in HRM course' is incorrect; it should be 'I am studying an HRM course'. Additionally, 'My classes time is start from 2 pm' contains errors in word order and verb usage. While your meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic sentence construction and verb tense usage prevent you from achieving a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage.

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

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