Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing this letter to let you know that I am planning to do my Masters degree as part time So, I will have to work part time instead of my full time hours, which I am working now.

I have a Bachelors degree in marketing right now But, I want to complete my Masters degree. For that I will have to go to university for 3 days a week from Monday till Wednesday.

So, I can work part time for now, from Thursday till sunday as the normal 9am to 5 pm which I am doing right now. For this, I need your support so, I can persue my degree at the same time.

Furthermore, I want to let you know that my subjects which i will be having in my Masters in Marketing degree will help me becoming a better person in my current job role. So, it is worth it to consider my studies.

Yours faithfully,

Fiza Maryam

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. The student explains the reason for wanting to reduce working hours, which is to pursue a Masters degree in marketing. They state the hours they wish to work, specifically from Thursday to Sunday, maintaining normal 9am to 5pm hours. Additionally, they touch upon how the studies will benefit the employer, stating that the subjects will help them become a 'better person in my current job role'. However, the ideas are somewhat underdeveloped and simplistic, lacking detailed elaboration on how the specific academic knowledge will add value to the workplace. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a boss. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, placing this response at Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter follows a clear overall arrangement with a standard greeting and sign-off. The progression of ideas is generally understandable, moving from the main request to the university schedule, the proposed work hours, and finally the workplace benefits. However, paragraphing and sentence flow are rather mechanical. The second paragraph is very brief, and punctuation/spacing issues disrupt the natural flow of text. Basic cohesive devices like 'So', 'Furthermore', and 'For that' are used, but referencing is sometimes clumsy, such as 'which I am working now' and 'my subjects which i will be having'. Paragraphing is not fully controlled, leading to choppy transitions. This corresponds to a Band 5.5 in Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, featuring standard workplace and academic terms such as 'Masters degree', 'university', 'marketing', and 'support'. However, the lexical range is limited and repetitive, with frequent reliance on basic words and phrases like 'right now', 'do my Masters degree', and 'work part time'. There are noticeable word choice and collocation issues, such as 'subjects which i will be having' instead of 'subjects I will be studying' and 'help me becoming' instead of 'help me become'. Spelling is generally acceptable, but capitalization errors occur (e.g., lowercase 'i'). These limitations place the lexical resource firmly at a Band 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('which I am working now') and conditional-like explanations. However, control over grammar is inconsistent. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, including 'I am planning to do my Masters degree as part time So, I will have to...', 'right now But,', and 'persue' (spelling/form error). Punctuation and capitalization are poorly managed in places, with random capitalisation ('But,', 'So,') and comma splices. While meaning is generally clear despite these errors, the frequency of inaccuracies prevents the response from reaching a higher band. This performance aligns with Band 5.5.

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

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