Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-19

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 4.5)

Dear sir,

I am writing regarding that i want to reduce my working hours. So, i can get some time to study as part time. I would like to explain the situation and request your assiatance.

To begin with, i am working as permanent and full time in your company as crane operater. I usually i start my job from 6am to 2pm and My working is one hour drive from my house.So, i did not get enough time to study because i have start my doctor course.

Furthermore, can i start my job in next week from 10pm to 6am as a night shift

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 4.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count of 150 words, stopping at only 105 words, which severely impacts the development of the task. While you have attempted to cover the bullet points by explaining why you want to reduce hours (to study a doctoral course) and suggesting hours (the night shift from 10pm to 6am), the third bullet point regarding how your part-time studies would benefit your employer is completely omitted. Because the letter is significantly under-length and lacks full development of all prompt requirements, it falls into Band 4.0. To improve, ensure you write at least 150 words and address every single bullet point thoroughly in the letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 4.5

The letter lacks a proper formal sign-off and is structured into very brief, choppy paragraphs. While the phrase 'To begin with' is used to attempt a logical sequence, the overall progression is weak due to the brevity of the response. Paragraphing is not used effectively, as single sentences form entire paragraphs. Cohesive devices are minimal and sometimes inaccurate. The referencing and logical flow between ideas need significant strengthening. For a higher score, you should group your ideas into coherent paragraphs and use a wider range of transition words to link your thoughts smoothly together.

Lexical Resource — Band 4.5

The vocabulary used is very basic and repetitive, such as 'reduce my working hours' and 'start my job'. There are spelling errors like 'assiatance' and 'operater', and misuse of collocation such as 'doctor course' instead of 'doctoral degree' or 'PhD'. The range of vocabulary is limited and minimally adequate for basic communication, but it falls short of providing flexibility or precision. To achieve a higher score, you should incorporate less common lexical items, check your spelling carefully, and use more precise professional vocabulary related to employment and education.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 4.5

The response shows a very limited range of structures, relying mostly on simple sentences with frequent errors. There are issues with punctuation, capitalization, and sentence boundaries, such as 'regarding that i want' and 'So, i did not get'. Complex structures are attempted with faulty control, and basic pronouns like 'I' are uncapitalized. Errors are frequent and can cause occasional difficulty for the reader. To improve, focus on basic grammatical accuracy, proper capitalization, and expanding your grammatical range by combining simple sentences into more complex, error-free constructions.

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

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