Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-02

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 boss.

Request about my hour adjustment

It was very convenient for me to work higher hours with frequent speed as I was also earning great with that but unfortunately i have to start my studies again and because of that I am only allowed to work a few hours weekly. Being under the role of the government i am only allowed to work half then i was working as a full time worker.

To start my studies i have to attend classes on Monday and friday every week and becaus of that i am unable to come to work on thode days .

and these studies will benifit my job a lot as i am in the automotive technician field of work with you and these studies will help me to get red tape in my job qualification, so i will give a better view at work

yours faithfully

Prabhjot Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points: the reason for the reduction, the specific hours requested, and the benefits to the employer. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited. For example, the explanation of how your studies benefit the employer is vague, mentioning 'red tape' in a way that is unclear and does not effectively communicate professional value. To improve, you should provide more specific details about the skills you will gain and how they will directly improve your performance or the company's output. The tone is also somewhat informal for a formal request to a boss.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is divided into short paragraphs, which is appropriate for the format. However, the logical flow is hindered by a lack of cohesive devices. You rely heavily on simple sentence structures and lack transition words to connect your ideas smoothly. For instance, the transition between explaining your studies and the benefits to the employer is abrupt. The opening is also quite informal ('Dear boss'), which does not align with the expected professional standard for a formal letter. Using more linking words like 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in addition' would help improve the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is basic and sometimes inaccurate. Phrases like 'earning great' and 'frequent speed' are unnatural and do not convey your meaning clearly. The term 'red tape' is used incorrectly here; 'red tape' usually refers to excessive bureaucracy, whereas you likely meant 'certification' or 'advanced qualifications'. There are also several spelling errors, such as 'benifit', 'thode', and 'friday'. To reach a higher band, you need to focus on using more precise professional vocabulary and ensuring correct spelling and word choice.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter that occasionally impede clarity. Examples include 'work higher hours', 'work half then i was working', and 'because of that i am unable'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing capital letters for days of the week and improper sentence structure. You rely almost exclusively on simple sentences. To improve, you should practice using a wider variety of complex sentence structures and pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and basic punctuation rules.

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

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