Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · 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 5.0)

dear sir ,

i am thinking to do part time studies to improving my skills that's why i am picking parttime studies from next month and i am reducing the working hours.

these days, I am Planning for healthcare short term program due to which i will get chances for having bright future in this field ,so my course is starting from next month and i can only work up to 30 hours per week .

this program will help us in our warehouse as well because we generally seen that while use equipment ,workers get harm there hands sometime which need healthcare facility for protecting them.

i will wait for your reply on my opinion for having heathcare program will be beneficial for our company while reducing my work hours .

yours faithfully,

jashandeep singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the specific hours, and the benefit to the employer. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the development of ideas. The explanation regarding how the healthcare course benefits the warehouse is somewhat tenuous and could have been expanded to be more persuasive. Because the length requirement was not met, the task is not fully developed, leading to a lower score in this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which is appropriate for the task. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed. There is a lack of cohesive devices to link sentences smoothly, making the writing feel a bit mechanical. For example, the transition between the request for hours and the explanation of the warehouse benefit is abrupt. Using more linking words like 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in addition' would improve the flow and logical connection between the ideas presented.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'thinking to do' and 'get chances for having' are unnatural and imprecise. There are also errors in word choice, such as 'workers get harm there hands', which should be 'workers injure their hands'. The range of vocabulary is limited, and the student struggles to use more sophisticated or professional language suitable for a formal letter to an employer. To improve, the student should focus on learning collocations and more formal business terminology.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. There are issues with verb tenses ('I am thinking to do'), preposition usage, and sentence structure. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing capital letters at the start of sentences and improper comma usage. The range of structures is limited to simple or compound sentences, with few attempts at complex grammatical forms. The errors are noticeable and persistent throughout the text, which prevents it from reaching a higher band score.

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

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