Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-10

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 Mr. Sharma,

i am writing a letter for reduce work hour in order to study part time.

I want to tell you i want reduce hour from work because when ever i do lot work i do not take time for study .after work i go home .I need to bed rest but everyday i get late from work and i slept without everything therefore i do not take time for part study.

I want to work shift in evning 8 to12 therefore in this time i can good work .after work when i will come back to home i will take good rest and eat food also .after good rest i can get up early .I can take a time for part time study.

If i do part time study after study i can take good value in job and take good earn money every month

I look forward to hearing from you soon

your sincerly

Raman

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 benefit to the employer. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited. The explanation for the benefit to the employer is vague, stating only that you will 'take good value in job' and 'earn money,' which does not clearly explain how your studies will help the company. To improve, you should provide more specific details about how your new knowledge will contribute to your current role. The tone is also somewhat informal for a letter to a boss.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is very limited and often repetitive. Phrases like 'therefore' and 'after' are used frequently and sometimes incorrectly, which makes the flow feel mechanical. There is a lack of variety in linking words, and some sentences are disjointed, making the progression of ideas feel slightly abrupt. Improving the use of transition words and ensuring that sentences connect logically would significantly enhance the readability of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive, which limits your ability to express your ideas with precision. For example, you use the word 'good' multiple times (e.g., 'good work', 'good rest', 'good value', 'good earn money'). This indicates a restricted range of vocabulary. There are also errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'take a time for part time study' and 'take good value in job'. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more varied and precise vocabulary that is appropriate for a professional context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the letter that occasionally impede communication. Issues include missing articles ('I need to bed rest'), incorrect verb forms ('I slept without everything'), and punctuation errors (e.g., '8 to12'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, and there are errors with subject-verb agreement and word order. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic grammar prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for basic errors would be beneficial.

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

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