Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 Manager,

I am writing a letter to request about reducing my working hours.

The main reason behind it, I have to study part time. My course name is hotel management, and there are four subjects in which I need to foc

I would like to do work from monday to friday at 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Moreover, if you allow me to concentrate on my program; it is also beneficial for you.

Furthermore, I am already doing practical work. So, I have enough knowledge regarding it. Also I can gain a financial knowledge, and some rules and regulations regarding law which is more significant to our business. In addition my subjects include strategies of marketing and business, publication, law and ethics and critical analysis of developmental phase.

I hope you will understand my concern. I am waiting for your positive response which is more important to me.

Yours sincerely,

khushbu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three requested points: you explain that you need time for part-time hotel-management studies, propose working from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, and mention ways your learning could help the business. The employer benefit is relevant, particularly your references to marketing, business, law and ethics. However, the reason for studying is only briefly stated, and the benefit is not clearly connected to specific improvements you could make at work. The sentence about being allowed to “concentrate on my program” does not explain the benefit to your boss. Develop these points with a clear explanation of how the course will improve your performance or contribute to the hotel.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable structure, moving from the request to your proposed schedule, then to potential benefits and a closing. Paragraphing helps separate these stages, and linking expressions such as “Furthermore” and “In addition” show how ideas relate. However, some connections feel mechanical, and the progression within the benefits paragraph is not fully clear: practical experience, financial knowledge, legal rules and course subjects are listed without explaining how they fit together. The sentence ending “if you allow me to concentrate on my program” also leaves the relationship between the request and the employer’s benefit unclear. Group related ideas and use clearer references to guide the reader.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a range of task-relevant vocabulary, including “hotel management,” “financial knowledge,” “strategies of marketing,” and “critical analysis.” These terms help communicate the subject matter and show an attempt to use more specific language. However, several phrases are unnatural or imprecise, such as “request about reducing,” “the main reason behind it,” and “financial knowledge.” “Publication” is also unclear in the list of subjects. These choices do not prevent the reader from understanding the main message, but they reduce precision and naturalness. Aim for familiar, accurate collocations, and check that each course term expresses the meaning you intend.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including “if you allow me to concentrate on my program” and the sentence beginning “In addition.” The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. For example, “The main reason behind it, I have to study part time” is not a complete, well-formed sentence; write “The main reason is that I need to study part-time.” The clause beginning “Moreover, if you allow me…” is also incomplete as written. There are further issues with articles and sentence boundaries, including “I can gain a financial knowledge” and the semicolon before “it is also beneficial.” Practise complete clauses and punctuation in longer sentences.

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

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