Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-14

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 or Madam,

I am writing regarding to reduce my working hours in order to study part time. I would like to explain the situation clearly and provide some relevant information about this matter. I would also appreciate your assistance and advice concerning the points mentioned below.

To begin with, this reduce is very important for me to have some time free. I would like to explain that I would like to continue my study. This is important because I hope to have a master degree at the University, and I believe that this information should be taken into consideration.

Furthermore, I would also appreciate that I work in evening and weekend. In this regard, I can not work in the afternoon because I have a heavy program. So, I would be grateful if you could accept my suggestion and assist me when that may be necessary.

Finally, I can do the service alone the weekend. I would therefore appreciate it if you could get me some money. I hope that the matter can be dealt with appropriately and that a suitable outcome can be reached.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Rezak Sadoun

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all three bullet points from the prompt: it explains the desire to reduce hours for study, outlines the preferred working times, and attempts to mention how the employer would benefit by providing service on weekends. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited and repetitive. For instance, the reason for reducing hours is stated multiple times without adding substantial depth, and the benefit to the employer is vague ('I can do the service alone the weekend'). Furthermore, phrases like 'get me some money' are inappropriate for a professional letter to a boss. This places the response around a band 5.5 to 6.0. While the task is addressed, the ideas remain under-developed and lack the clarity and appropriate tone expected at higher bands.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter follows a standard structure with an appropriate salutation, introductory paragraph, body paragraphs, and sign-off. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'Finally' are used to sequence the ideas. However, paragraphing and referencing are sometimes faulty. The progression of ideas feels repetitive, particularly in the opening and second paragraphs where the goal of studying is restated without advancing the narrative. Additionally, referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'this reduce' instead of 'this reduction'. The cohesion is somewhat mechanical and lacks the natural flow characteristic of higher bands, making a band 6.0 the most accurate assessment.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary used is relatively basic and repetitive, with frequent reliance on simple words like 'important', 'study', and 'work'. There are notable lexical inaccuracies and unnatural collocations, such as 'regarding to reduce' (instead of 'regarding reducing' or 'to reduce'), 'this reduce' (used as a noun), and 'get me some money' (which sounds inappropriate and overly direct in a workplace negotiation context, where 'discuss a salary adjustment' or 'review my compensation' would be more professional). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the basic message, the frequent word-choice errors and limited range restrict the score to a band 5.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The text contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, but grammatical control is weak. There are several noticeable errors in grammar and sentence structure throughout the letter. Examples include 'I am writing regarding to reduce' (incorrect infinitive structure), 'have a master degree' (missing article 'a'), 'I can not work in the afternoon because I have a heavy program' (awkward phrasing), and 'do the service alone the weekend' (preposition error). These errors occur frequently and occasionally cause some difficulty for the reader, though they do not completely impede overall communication. This performance aligns with the descriptors for a band 5.0.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.