Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-04

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 Sir,

I am writing to this letter to inform you recently I take admission in part time study course. Due to this reason I need Work in between 8 am to 3 pm.

I want to reduce the working time because I started a new course which is help me to grow my future and also good for the company future growth. I need to go attend my class 3.30 to 6.30 which is closed to the university.

Our company is running 24 hour so can you change my general shift to the first shift which is help me to manage both things easily.

I am currently working as a junior software developer. So to update with time I need to learn new technology which is also beneficial for the company development. This course give me all the knowledge required to learn python programming language from the basic to advance level.

I look forward your response.

your Faithfully,

Akshay Ahir

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: the reason for the request, the preferred hours, and the benefits to the employer. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. While you mention the course will help with company growth, the explanation is quite brief and repetitive. To improve, you should provide more specific details about how learning Python will directly impact your current tasks or projects at the company. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, although the opening and closing salutations need adjustment to be more standard for a professional context.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your request. However, the progression of ideas is occasionally disjointed. For example, the transition between your request for hours and the mention of the company's 24-hour operation is a bit abrupt. You use some basic cohesive devices like 'Due to this reason' and 'So', but the overall flow would benefit from a wider range of linking words to connect your sentences more smoothly. The paragraphing is present but could be more effectively used to separate the distinct points of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on simple phrasing, such as 'manage both things' and 'good for the company future growth'. There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'I am writing to this letter' (should be 'I am writing this letter') and 'take admission' (should be 'enrolled in'). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more professional collocations and precise terminology related to your field of work and your request for flexible working arrangements.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter, particularly regarding verb tenses and sentence structure. Examples include 'I take admission' (should be 'I have enrolled'), 'which is help me' (should be 'which will help me'), and 'I look forward your response' (should be 'I look forward to your response'). While the meaning is generally clear, these errors are noticeable and occur in almost every sentence. You rely heavily on simple sentence structures; incorporating more complex sentences with accurate subordinate clauses would improve your score significantly.

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

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