Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-16

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,

I am writing this letter regarding my working hours because of my new course, which I am going to take to gain new skills and knowledge for my future.

To begin with, I would like to reduce my working time, as I can now only work part-time while I am studying. I am going to do a Master of Management course to improve my management skills for the company and for myself.

Owing to this, could you please make some changes to my shift timing? I have my classes in the morning from 6 am to 12 pm. So, according to this, I can do work after 12 pm, like in the evening.

I would appreciate it, if you can make some changes for my betterment.

Your faithfully,

Jahanvi.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The candidate has addressed all three bullet points required in the task prompt: explaining the desire to reduce hours, specifying the preferred working hours (after 12 pm), and mentioning that the studies will improve management skills for the company. However, the response is only 131 words long, which fails to meet the minimum requirement of 150 words. This under-length impacts the full development of ideas, particularly the third bullet point regarding the employer's benefit, which is stated rather briefly. Consequently, while the tone is appropriate for a formal letter, the task is only partially satisfied due to the word count deficit.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter maintains a clear overall purpose, and the information is presented in a logical sequence starting with the main request, followed by reasons, specific hours, and a concluding remark. Paragraphing is used, though paragraphs are quite short and basic. Cohesive devices are somewhat limited, relying heavily on basic phrases like 'To begin with' and 'Owing to this'. Referencing is generally clear, but the lack of more sophisticated transitional markers keeps the cohesion somewhat mechanical.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'working hours', 'part-time', and 'master of management'. There are some successful attempts at less common items, but also noticeable awkwardness in word choice and collocation, such as 'do work after 12 pm' instead of 'work after 12 pm' or 'make some changes for my betterment'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the overall lexical control is limited and sits comfortably within the Band 5 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The candidate uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'I am writing this letter regarding my working hours because of my new course, which I am going to take...'). There are some grammatical errors, such as the punctuation and phrasing in 'I would appreciate it, if you can make some changes' and the sign-off 'Your faithfully' instead of 'Yours faithfully'. However, these errors do not impede communication, and the sentence structures demonstrate a reasonable level of control.

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

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