Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 you are doing well .I am writing to requests regarding my working hours .This is exciting news as now i am starting my study which is helpful in my future to develop my career.

Moreover ,I would like to tell you now i want to work only 24 hours and I am available on Mondays ,Tuesday and Wednesday. The other day i am busy with my studies which i could not deny.

In addition to this, i am studying related health which is very benif

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it is only 90 words long and ends abruptly mid-sentence ('benif'). While you have attempted to address the three bullet points—explaining the reason for the reduction, specifying the hours, and mentioning the benefits to the employer—the ideas are severely underdeveloped due to the incomplete nature of the letter. To achieve a higher band, you must ensure all parts of the prompt are fully expanded and the letter is brought to a logical conclusion with a formal sign-off.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter lacks a clear structure and logical progression. While you use some basic cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'In addition to this', the paragraphing is inconsistent and the abrupt ending prevents a coherent flow. The letter lacks a proper opening and closing, which is essential for the General Training task format. To improve, ensure you use clear paragraph breaks for each point and include a standard formal closing such as 'Yours sincerely' followed by your name.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is quite basic and repetitive. You rely on simple phrases like 'helpful in my future' and 'I am busy with'. There are also spelling errors such as 'benif' (incomplete) and 'requests' (should be 'a request'). To improve, try to incorporate more precise professional terminology related to workplace negotiations and academic development. For example, instead of saying 'helpful', use 'advantageous' or 'beneficial'. Expanding your range of vocabulary will help convey your ideas more professionally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including subject-verb agreement issues ('I am writing to requests') and punctuation errors (spaces before commas). The sentence structures are simple, and there is a lack of complex sentence forms. The incomplete final sentence also makes it difficult to assess your ability to construct complex ideas. Focus on proofreading for basic errors and try to vary your sentence structure by using subordinating conjunctions to link your ideas more effectively.

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

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