Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-08

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 boss,

I hope you are doing well.

I am going to write a letter for request about reduce my working hourse because i am planing to do part time study in business.

Firstly, actually i am a part time student and i have a lot assignments so it is very difficult for me to manage it in very less time, so i want to reduce my working hourse.

Secondly, i would like to work in the morning time 9 Am to 2 PM so that after my work i can concentrate on my study.

Lastly, my study is in Master's, when i complete it i get a good degree and also now i learn about different parts of business terms like how to make big projects, team work and how to giving excellent presentations in front of others. I think it would be benificial for my work also.

I hope you understand my situation.

Regards,

Karam

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three requested points: you explain that assignments make it difficult to balance work and study, specify a proposed schedule of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and describe ways your business studies could help at work. The benefit is relevant, particularly your reference to project planning, teamwork and presentations. This gives the letter a clear purpose and covers the task well. However, the employer benefit is less fully explained than your reason for requesting the change: connect those skills to specific workplace contributions, such as coordinating projects or communicating with clients. The request could also be made more explicit and professionally framed, for example by asking whether the proposed hours can be arranged. The response already shows good task coverage, but fuller development and a clearer request would strengthen it further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter follows a sensible overall order: it introduces the request, explains the reason, gives the preferred hours, and then discusses the benefit to the employer. Paragraph breaks help distinguish these points, and the closing is appropriate. However, the repeated sequence markers “Firstly,” “Secondly,” and “Lastly” make the progression feel mechanical rather than natural. The opening sentence, “I am going to write a letter for request,” also delays the purpose instead of stating it directly. Some links between ideas are unclear, particularly the move from completing a master’s degree to the skills you are learning now. Use a direct opening and connect the skills to practical workplace outcomes; this would make the organisation feel more fluent and cohesive.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “part time study,” “assignments,” “team work,” and “presentations.” These terms make your purpose understandable, and “concentrate” is a suitable choice when explaining how the schedule would help. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “working hourse,” “business terms,” “how to make big projects,” and “benificial.” These errors sometimes make the reader pause to interpret your meaning. Aim for more precise workplace and study language, and check spelling and collocations carefully. For example, “manage my workload” and “develop project-management skills” would express your ideas more naturally and professionally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the main message is generally understandable. For instance, the sentence beginning “I am a part time student” gives a reason for the request, while the sentence about your studies and workplace skills attempts to combine related ideas. However, complex sentences are often not controlled accurately: “I am going to write a letter for request about reduce…” has problems with verb patterns, and “when i complete it i get a good degree” does not clearly express the intended future meaning. There are also errors in articles, capitalization and sentence boundaries. Practise forming requests with “I would like to request…” and use clear future forms such as “When I complete the degree, I will be able to…”.

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

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