Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-18

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 martin Sir,

This letter is to request to reduce my working hours of office, as i want to join an institution to learn AI skills.

The institute timings is between 6pm to 8pm so i have to leave office little early to reach there.

I want to learn new skills to develop my working abilities as i don't have knowldge about new technology regarding Artifical technology which would be beneficial to your company if i learn this technology.

I can prepare presentations in an effective way to increase the production of the company by giving my best.

so, I request you to grant permission for change in my office timings.I will be grateful if you do so.

Thanking you

yours sincerely

salma.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the main purpose by explaining that you want to study AI, identifying the institute’s 6–8 p.m. schedule, and mentioning possible benefits such as preparing presentations and increasing company productivity. However, the request is not fully specific: you say you need to leave early but do not state the exact working hours you are proposing. The benefit to the employer is relevant but briefly asserted rather than explained. The response also falls 27 words short of the required minimum, which limits the opportunity to develop these points. To strengthen the letter, state your proposed start and finish times, explain how the new skills would apply to your current duties, and add a clear request for when the change could begin.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The ideas are presented in a generally understandable order: you make the request, explain the course schedule, and then describe a potential benefit to the company. This gives the letter a basic overall structure. However, the paragraphs are very short and the progression between the study schedule and the employer benefit could be clearer. The opening sentence is followed by a separate explanation of the institute’s hours, while the final request repeats the purpose without adding a transition or practical details. The connector “so” is used mechanically, and the closing is not clearly separated. Group related information into fuller paragraphs and use linking phrases such as “As a result” or “In return” to make the relationships between ideas more explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the central ideas, with relevant terms such as “AI skills,” “technology,” “presentations,” and “production.” However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations sound unnatural, including “working hours of office,” “learn this technology,” and “increase the production of the company.” Spelling errors such as “knowldge” and “Artifical” also reduce accuracy. These issues do not prevent the reader from understanding your request, but they make the letter less precise and professional. Aim for more natural workplace expressions, for example, “reduce my office hours,” “develop my knowledge of artificial intelligence,” and “improve the company’s productivity.” Check spelling carefully before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use some simple sentences and attempt longer structures, such as the sentence explaining that learning AI could benefit the company. The main message remains understandable, but errors in agreement, articles, capitalisation, and sentence boundaries are noticeable. For example, “The institute timings is” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “i want” and “so” are incorrectly capitalised at the start of sentences. In “I request you to grant permission for change,” the article before “change” is missing. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly around “timings.I will.” Practise checking each sentence for a clear subject and verb, correct articles, and appropriate capital letters and full stops; this will make your request easier to read.

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

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