Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-11

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,

Hope this letter finds you well. I am reaching out to request for reducing my working hours.

I am an employee in the software department in your company and I am doing job here since last two years. Now I have taken admission in the IT course in evening shift. However, I could not be able to attend my class significantly due to time management. My class started at 6 pm exactly the same of closing time of my office work. I shall be very thankful if you please reduce my office time for one hour. So that, I could be able to attend my class.

I am very dedicated and hard worker. I always complete my tasks efficiently. This course would help me in enhancing my career and profession. It would also provide me a good opportunity to contribute your company more efficiently.

I do hope to hear from you.

Yours sincerely,

Sobia.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to the employer. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a boss. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, while you mention the course will help your career, you could have been more specific about which skills you will acquire and how exactly they will be applied to your current software projects. Expanding on these points would provide a more persuasive argument and better meet the requirements for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter follows a logical structure with a clear opening, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'However' and 'So that' to link ideas. However, the progression between sentences can feel a bit mechanical, and some transitions are slightly abrupt. Paragraphing is present, but the paragraphs are quite short. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each paragraph flows more naturally into the next. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some sentence structures are repetitive.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You use a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly, such as 'dedicated', 'efficiently', and 'enhancing'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, 'request for reducing' should be 'request to reduce', and 'doing job here' is unnatural; 'working here' or 'employed here' would be better. Additionally, 'contribute your company' is missing the preposition 'to'. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over common collocations and phrasal structures to reach a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, such as 'I could not be able to' (a double modal/ability error), 'same of closing time' (missing 'as'), and 'I am doing job' (missing an article). While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your request. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and avoiding redundant structures like 'could not be able to'. Increasing the variety of complex sentences while ensuring accuracy will help you achieve a higher score.

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

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