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)

Respected sir,

With due respect I want to mention that I a taking microsoft classes for providing excellence to my resume and my skills and I am married as well, having so many house responsibility. Additionally m also going for personality development classes as well

I request you to please reduce my working hours from 8 hours to 6 hours. I am able to complete my task in 6 hours very efficiently.

I am flexible to very shift between 11 am to 8 pm for 6 hours. In the morning from 7-9 I have my classes and in evening I have to go for taking care of my family

My microsoft skills will also help me in achieve ing more efficiency and excellence in my current job role as well.

I shall be very thankful to you I you consider my request. I will be beneficial for both me and company as well.

Regards

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You explain your reasons for wanting to reduce hours (study and family responsibilities), specify your preferred working hours, and describe the benefits to your employer. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of how your Microsoft skills will benefit the company is quite brief. To achieve a higher band, you should expand on these points with more specific details or examples to demonstrate a more thorough development of ideas. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a boss, though the opening 'Respected sir' is slightly unconventional in a modern business context.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter has a logical progression, moving from the request to the reasons and then to the benefits. However, the paragraphing is weak; the text is presented as a series of short, somewhat disjointed sentences rather than well-structured paragraphs. The use of cohesive devices is limited and occasionally mechanical (e.g., 'Additionally', 'In the morning'). The flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly. While the overall message is clear, the lack of sophisticated paragraphing and cohesive variety limits the score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'having so many house responsibility' and 'go for taking care of my family'. There are also some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'I a taking' (should be 'I am taking') and 'achieve ing' (spelling error). To improve, you should aim to use more professional, business-appropriate vocabulary. For example, instead of saying you have 'house responsibility', you could refer to 'personal commitments' or 'family obligations'. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to communicate your request, but it does not demonstrate the flexibility required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There is a mix of simple sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'I a taking' (missing verb), 'm also going' (informal contraction and missing subject), and 'I you consider' (likely a typo for 'if'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with missing commas and periods in several places. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors indicates a lack of control over complex structures. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, consistent use of articles, and proofreading for basic punctuation and spelling errors.

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

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