Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-14

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)

RESPECTED SIR/MADAM,

I AM WRITING THIS LETTER TO REQUET YOU THAT I WOULD LIKE TO REDUCE MY WORKING HOURS BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE PART TIME STUDY IN COLLEGE .

FIRSTLY I WANT TO APPOLOGIZE YOU BEACUSE I WILL NOT WORK FULL TIME AS PER YOUR EXPECTATION . AS YOU KNOW I AM A TEMPARAORY WORKER IN CANADA AND I WANT TO BECOME A PERMANENT RESIDENT SO THAT I HAVE TO STUDY PERSONAL SUPPORT WORKER PROGRAM AND IT'S AVAILABLE PART TIME AND AVAILBLE IN OUR TOWN ALSO .

FURTHERMORE COLLEGE IS IN TOWN SO I WILL STUDY AND ALSO WILL DO PART TIME WORK . I WOULD LIKE TO WORK EVENING SHIFT 4 TO 1O PM BECAUSE MY STUDY TIME WILL MORNING 9 TO 3. SO ITS CONVIENT FORM ME TO DO WORK AFTER MY CLASS WILL OVER .

LASTLY I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT AFTER COMPLETIION OF MY PSW PROGRAM I CAN ELIGIBLE FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCY PROGRAM AND AFTER THAT I CAN WORK FOR YOU LONGER TIME .

YOUR'S FAITHFULLY

BRIJESH PATEL

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three requested points: you explain that studying a Personal Support Worker programme is connected to your goal of becoming a permanent resident, specify an evening shift from 4 to 10 p.m., and say the qualification could help you work for the employer longer. These are relevant ideas and the purpose of the letter is clear. However, the benefit to the employer is less fully explained than your personal reasons; clarify what skills or practical contribution your studies would bring to the workplace. The request could also be framed more directly and politely, with a clear proposed change to your schedule and, if appropriate, a request to discuss or approve it. This would make the letter’s purpose and supporting details more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall sequence: you introduce the request, explain your study and residency plans, give your preferred working hours, and finish with a possible long-term benefit to your employer. Paragraphing and signposts such as “Firstly,” “Furthermore,” and “Lastly” help the reader follow the main points. This meets the lower-band expectation of coherent overall arrangement and also shows some features of stronger progression. However, the connectors are somewhat mechanical, and the relationship between ideas is occasionally unclear—for example, the sentence beginning “Furthermore college is in town” does not clearly connect the college’s location to the employer’s benefit. Use more natural transitions and make each paragraph develop one point, especially the workplace benefit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use enough task-related vocabulary to communicate the main message, including “reduce my working hours,” “part time,” “evening shift,” and “permanent residency.” However, the range is limited and several noticeable spelling and word-choice errors make the letter less polished, such as “requ et,” “tempar aory,” “convinient,” and “completiion.” Some phrases are also unnatural, including “study personal support worker program” and “work for you longer time.” These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your main points, but they show limited control of vocabulary and collocation. Learn common formal-letter phrases and check spelling carefully; more precise wording would make your request sound clearer and more professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You communicate the main ideas using simple sentences and some attempts to link clauses, for example, “I want to become a permanent resident so that I have to study…” and “after completing of my PSW program I can eligible…”. However, these longer structures are not controlled accurately, and several sentence patterns need revision. For example, write “I need to study” rather than “I have to study” in this context, and “I will be eligible” rather than “I can eligible.” Other examples include “my study time will morning 9 to 3” and “after my class will over,” where the verb forms and sentence construction are unclear. Practise accurate simple sentences first, then build complex sentences with correct verb forms and punctuation.

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

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