Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-18

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 hope you are doing well. I am reaching out to request you to reduce my working ours.

I am an employee in your company since last two years. I am doing job in the sales department. I am a hard worker and complete my tasks efficiently. I am always punctual and regular in my duties.

I have just enrolled in a renowned college for MBA in the evening session . I am very enthusiastic in earning my degree, because it will enhance my progress and professional learning. My class starts at 6 o' clock while the closing time of my office is 5 o'clock. Nevertheless, I reach late in class and miss the important lectures. I shall be very thankful if you please reduce my working hours by one hour.

I am very eager to contribute your company with more efficiently. I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Sobia.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response successfully covers all the bullet points outlined in the prompt. You have explained why you want to reduce your working hours, specifically mentioning your MBA enrollment and schedule clash as seen in 'I have just enrolled in a renowned college for MBA in the evening session'. You clearly stated which hours you would like to work by asking to 'reduce my working hours by one hour', aligning with your office closing time and class timing. Finally, you attempted to describe the benefits to your employer by noting that it will 'enhance my progress and professional learning' and make you eager to contribute 'with more efficiently'. However, the third bullet point regarding employer benefits could have been expanded further to specifically highlight how your new business knowledge would practically assist the company. Overall, all parts of the task are addressed, earning a solid Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement with standard letter conventions used, starting with a polite salutation and ending with a formal sign-off. Paragraphing is utilized to separate the introduction, background, reasons, and conclusion. However, the cohesion feels somewhat mechanical and choppy, particularly in the second paragraph where sentences like 'I am doing job in the sales department. I am a hard worker...' are quite disjointed. Referencing and conjunctions are basic, and some transitions are missing between ideas. Progression is generally understandable, but more cohesive devices and smoother links between sentences would elevate this score. This aligns well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, successfully communicating your message with understandable phrasing such as 'sales department', 'punctual and regular', and 'professional learning'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors, such as 'working ours' instead of 'hours', 'I am doing job' instead of 'I am working', and 'contribute your company' instead of 'contribute to your company'. You attempt some less common vocabulary, but inaccuracies prevent you from reaching a higher band. The vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey your intent, making Band 5.5 a fair representation of your lexical range and control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as the use of subordinate clauses with 'because' ('...because it will enhance my progress') and 'while' ('...while the closing time of my office is 5 o'clock'). There are, however, several grammatical errors throughout the text, including article misuse ('in the sales department', 'an employee... since last two years' instead of 'for the last two years'), prepositions ('reach late in class' instead of 'arrive late for class'), and spelling/typographical errors ('ours' instead of 'hours'). While these errors do not impede overall communication, their frequency prevents you from achieving a higher band score. This performance fits comfortably within the Band 5.5 descriptor.

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

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