Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

Dear Kwame,

I would like to write a letter regarding my hours that i want to reduce in order to study part time

This is to inform you that i want to do study in part time for which i want reduce my working hours to the job as the reason behind that is i want to crack one course which i need to study somewhat as a part time.

I kindly request to take a look on my working hours that i have stated here as so Monday 0800 to 1600, Tuesday 0800 to 1600 and Friday 0800 to 1600

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement. While you have addressed the three bullet points—explaining the reason for the request, specifying the hours, and mentioning the benefit to the employer—the development of these ideas is very limited. The explanation of how your studies would benefit the employer is missing entirely, as you only mention wanting to 'crack one course'. To improve, you must expand on your ideas, provide more context, and ensure all parts of the prompt are fully addressed to reach the required length.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter is very brief, making it difficult to establish a clear logical progression. While there is a basic attempt at paragraphing, the lack of sufficient content means there is little opportunity to use cohesive devices effectively. The sentences are somewhat disjointed, and the overall structure is underdeveloped. To improve, you should use linking words such as 'furthermore', 'consequently', or 'in addition' to connect your ideas more fluidly and ensure the letter follows a standard professional format with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is quite basic and repetitive, such as the repeated use of 'want' and 'study'. There is a lack of professional or academic collocations that would be expected in a formal letter to an employer. For example, instead of saying 'crack one course', you should use more formal terminology related to professional development or academic qualifications. To achieve a higher band, you need to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary and use more precise, formal language appropriate for a workplace request.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors, including the failure to capitalize 'I', missing articles, and awkward phrasing such as 'do study in part time'. The sentence structures are simple and lack the variety required for higher bands. There are also punctuation issues, such as the lack of a closing salutation. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction, ensure consistent capitalization, and practice using more complex sentence structures, such as using subordinate clauses to explain your reasons more clearly.

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

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