Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-01

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, Mr. Mukesh

Hope you are doing well, i am writing to inform you about my duty hour i want to reduce my working hours because i have to do study for my PG.

I would like to do evening 6 hours duty i only want 4 hours for my study because i have online classes in Morning time it start from 10:00am to 14:00pm. if you can give me evening duty it will be very helpful for me. i will issue that i will finish my task as on dailybases.

I would like to inform you about the benefit for my study in the future, i can apply for manager post and i can earn more money for my family and for my bright future. Its good for improve my confidence and communication skill.

I hope you will consider my request and allow me to do half day duty.

Yours faithfully

jyoti

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to the employer. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited. For instance, the explanation of how your studies benefit the employer focuses primarily on your personal career advancement ('I can apply for manager post') rather than how the company specifically gains from your new skills. To reach a higher band, you should elaborate on how the knowledge gained from your PG course will add value to your current role or the company's operations.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your request. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. You rely heavily on simple sentence structures, and there is a lack of varied linking words to connect your ideas smoothly. For example, the transition between your study schedule and the benefits to the employer is abrupt. Improving the use of transition signals such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in addition' would help create a more professional and cohesive flow throughout the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You use basic terms like 'do study' and 'do evening 6 hours duty', which are not natural collocations. There are also some errors in word choice, such as 'issue' instead of 'assure' and 'on dailybases' instead of 'on a daily basis'. To improve, focus on using more professional business terminology and ensuring that your word choices are accurate and appropriate for a formal letter to a manager.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with subject-verb agreement, punctuation, and sentence structure. For example, 'i am writing' should be capitalized, and 'it start from' should be 'it starts from'. Additionally, many sentences are run-on or lack proper punctuation, such as 'Hope you are doing well, i am writing...'. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and punctuation limit the score. You should focus on proofreading for capitalization, verb tense consistency, and sentence boundaries.

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

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