Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-15

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 or Madam,

I am writing to request you about reducing my working hours in purpose of part time study in a college.

As you aware of that my working hours are 48hr/week. which does not allows me to do any extra work after my job. I am working as an assembly technician which is first step of my career, I want professional growth in my life as well as personal. Recently, I got offer letter from Windsor college to continue me post graduate studies.

This opportunity brings me more knowledge along with practical skills, which will help in my future to grow. My college timing are fixed which is 8am to 12pm. Due to this I am not able to join morning shift which I do. I have a small request to change my shift to afternoon shift for 2 months only.

These part time studies create big impact to my life as I will be a holder of post graduate certificate which gives me more opportunities to uplift me position from technician to engineer. Overall these studies benefits both me and also your company.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Your faithfully,

Harsh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three requested points: you explain that you want to pursue postgraduate study, request a change from the morning to afternoon shift, and state that the qualification could help you progress from technician to engineer and benefit the company. The request is understandable, and the letter has an appropriate opening and closing. Some points are less fully developed than others, however. The reason for studying is described mainly as personal and professional growth, while the employer benefit is asserted rather than explained—for example, you could say how new technical knowledge would improve your work or support the team. Also clarify the exact hours you are asking to work and how the proposed two-month arrangement fits your course schedule.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a coherent overall arrangement: it introduces the request, gives background about your studies and current shift, and ends with the expected benefits and a polite closing. Paragraphing helps separate these stages, and phrases such as “Recently” and “Due to this” guide the reader through the explanation. Some connections are less clear or feel mechanical. For instance, “This opportunity brings me more knowledge” follows the offer-letter detail without clearly linking the course to the requested schedule, and “Overall these studies benefits both me and also your company” repeats the benefit rather than developing it. A clearer sequence—reason for study, precise proposed hours, then specific workplace benefits—would make the progression more effective.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use a relevant range of vocabulary for a workplace request, including “assembly technician,” “post graduate studies,” “practical skills,” and “afternoon shift.” These choices make the purpose clear, and you attempt more specific language than basic everyday terms. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “request you about,” “in purpose of,” “continue me post graduate studies,” and “uplift me position.” These phrases sometimes make the reader pause to interpret your meaning. Aim for conventional professional expressions and check word forms and spelling, including “part-time,” “postgraduate,” and “benefits.” More precise language for the employer’s gains would also strengthen the letter’s vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You use a mixture of simple sentences and longer structures, including the explanation beginning “As you aware of that” and the sentence linking your qualification to career progression. The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors occur across the letter. Examples include “As you aware” (missing “are”), “which does not allows” (incorrect verb form), “my college timing are” (agreement), and “these studies benefits” (agreement). Sentence boundaries and punctuation also need attention: “48hr/week. which” should be joined or correctly punctuated, and the sentence beginning “Due to this” is not clearly connected to the preceding idea. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and build longer sentences with clear clauses; this will let you express the request and its conditions more precisely.

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

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