Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-05

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 hope this letter finds you well. I am writing for an application to decrease my work hours in order to reading part time.

Firstly, I am planning to clear a physiotherapy licence exam in next 3 months. However, I already started my preration but this exam need a more time as I am thinking. Apart from that I do not get time for a reading with working full-time.

Also, I would like to mention about working hours so as per current my condition I would definetly go for evening shifts. Additionaly, working in closing shift instead of morning shift wouldbe give me more access for my study time.

Lastly, this exam would surely beneficial for me as well as for compony. Moreover, licence open a door for me to work as a regestered physiotherap

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the preferred hours, and the benefits to the employer. However, the response is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence ('regestered physiotherap'), which prevents a full development of the final point. Furthermore, the response falls short of the 150-word minimum requirement. While the ideas are relevant, the lack of completion and insufficient length significantly impact the overall task achievement score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate, such as 'Apart from that' and 'Also'. The progression of ideas is logical, but the abrupt ending disrupts the flow of the final paragraph. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall coherence is hampered by the incomplete nature of the text and some awkward phrasing that makes the transition between ideas feel slightly disjointed.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is limited and contains several errors that occasionally impede clarity, such as 'reading part time' instead of 'studying' and 'preration' (spelling error for preparation). There are also issues with word choice, such as 'clear a physiotherapy licence exam' and 'compony'. While the student attempts to use topic-specific vocabulary, the frequent spelling mistakes and incorrect collocations suggest a limited range that is just adequate for the task but lacks the precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response relies heavily on simple sentence structures. There are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('this exam need a more time'), incorrect verb forms ('I already started my preration'), and awkward sentence construction ('wouldbe give me more access'). Punctuation is also inconsistent. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic structures and the lack of complex sentence control indicate a level of grammatical accuracy that is below the standard for a band 6.

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

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