Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-28

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 or Madam,

I am writing to request for the reduction in my office hours.

I recently joined a short-term baking course at the nearby university. Since my childhood I had a keen desire to learn baking and now I got an opportunity to learn the skills and startup my own business.

I would be able to work from 2:00pm to 5:00pm. Moreover, I would be able to work during weekends as well because my classes will off

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it is only 79 words long. Consequently, the ideas are significantly underdeveloped. While you have touched upon the three bullet points—explaining the reason for the reduction, specifying the hours, and mentioning the benefit to the employer—the lack of depth and the failure to reach the required length severely limit the score. To improve, you must expand on each point with more detail and ensure the letter follows a standard formal structure, including a proper closing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter is very brief, making it difficult to assess the use of cohesive devices. There is a basic attempt at organization with a salutation and short paragraphs, but the progression of ideas is stunted due to the lack of content. The use of 'Moreover' is a correct attempt at a cohesive device, but more variety and better paragraph development are needed to achieve a higher score. The letter lacks a formal closing, which is a standard expectation for this task type.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is functional but quite limited. You use basic phrases like 'keen desire' and 'short-term baking course,' which are appropriate but simple. There are some awkward phrasings, such as 'my classes will off,' which is grammatically incorrect and impacts clarity. To improve, you should aim to incorporate more precise professional vocabulary related to workplace negotiations and professional development. Expanding your range will help you express your ideas with more sophistication and precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains several grammatical errors that hinder the flow. For example, 'request for the reduction' should be 'request a reduction,' and 'startup my own business' should be 'start up my own business.' The phrase 'my classes will off' is a significant error in verb usage. While you use some simple sentence structures correctly, there is a lack of complex sentence forms. You need to focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of auxiliary verbs to improve your accuracy and range.

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

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