Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-17

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 4.0)

Dear sir,

i hope your well. My job started in your office from 12 O'clock to 6 O'clock.I am working seven hours.My university started 8 O'clock and my classes off 12 O'clock.My duty started 12 O'clock which not focus on study because i am working started when my classes off who don't focus on study please i am focus on study to your office in worked only four hours.Please to my request accept who focus on study and my exam nearly .When came to university to take a rest and focus on study to please us my request accept I am coming in your worked at office only four hours.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response attempts to cover the bullet points by explaining the desire to study and mentioning working hours, but the ideas are severely underdeveloped and lack clarity. Furthermore, the length requirement has not been met: the response contains only 110 words, falling significantly short of the 150-word minimum. While the writer mentions wanting to focus on studies and exams, the explanation regarding the specific hours and the benefit to the employer is extremely vague and repetitive. Due to the under-length penalty and the lack of full development for all prompt requirements, this falls under Band 4.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.0

The text lacks clear overall organization and paragraphing. The response is written as a single, jumbled block of text with no logical progression or appropriate cohesive devices. Sentences are run together awkwardly, such as 'My duty started 12 O'clock which not focus on study because i am working started when my classes off who don't focus on study please i am focus on study'. References and pronouns are confusing, making it difficult for the reader to follow the train of thought. This corresponds to Band 4 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.0

The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, with frequent reliance on simple words like 'work', 'study', 'hours', and 'focus'. There are noticeable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'my classes off' instead of 'my classes end' and 'in your worked at office' instead of 'working in your office'. The limited range and repetitive nature of the lexicon strain the reader and impede clear communication throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.0

Grammatical control is weak, with a very limited range of sentence structures. Almost every sentence contains serious errors in tense, word order, and punctuation. Examples include 'i hope your well' (missing capitalization and incorrect possessive 'your' instead of 'you're'), 'My university started 8 O'clock' (missing prepositions and incorrect tense), and fragmented, run-on sentences. These frequent errors cause significant difficulty for the reader and distort meaning, aligning with Band 4.

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

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