Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-25
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,
respected boss,
I hope you are doing well, I am writing this letter to request you about the working hours as you know being a full time team member of this restaurant it was great for me and for company. I want to explain that I enrolled in college again for my Business Management study which will help our company in future.
I want to give a full details of my classes from next month my avalibilites will change I can only work on weekends and for weekdays I can do night shifts so, Kindly change my working hours also now I want to do part time job here because I will need to give time to classes and further I have to prepare for exams.
I also want to tell your that it will helpfull for our conpany I will learn more about business, permotions and so many things.
Moving forward to hear from you.
Thankyou
yours faithfully,
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0
You address all three requested points: you explain that you have enrolled in college to study Business Management, propose weekend work and weekday night shifts, and say the course could help the company. The purpose of the letter is clear and the request is relevant. However, the proposed schedule is not fully precise: “I can only work on weekends and for weekdays I can do night shifts” leaves the exact hours and availability unclear. The benefit to your employer is also only briefly stated; “learn more about business” and “promotions” would be stronger if linked to specific workplace improvements. Develop these details and make the request more explicit to cover every part more fully.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0
The information follows a generally sensible order: you introduce your request and reason, describe your availability, then mention a possible benefit to the company. This makes the overall message understandable. However, the letter is presented in large blocks, and several ideas are joined together in long sentences, so the progression is not always easy to follow. For example, the sentence beginning “I want to give a full details” combines your timetable, request, and study commitments. Use separate paragraphs for the reason, proposed hours, and employer benefit, and divide connected ideas into clearer sentences. The opening and closing also need more conventional letter formatting so the reader can identify the greeting and sign-off easily.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.0
You use relevant vocabulary for the situation, including “full time team member,” “Business Management,” “weekends,” “night shifts,” and “exams.” These choices make the main topic clear. However, the range is limited, and several inaccurate or misspelled expressions weaken the professional tone, such as “avalibilites,” “helpfull,” “conpany,” and “permotions.” Some phrases are also unnatural, including “request you about the working hours” and “give a full details.” Choose more precise workplace language and check spelling and collocations carefully. For instance, you could refer to a “revised work schedule” and explain how your studies will develop skills relevant to your role.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0
You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the reader can generally understand your request. However, some grammatical errors affect clarity and formality. The opening sentence joins two complete ideas with a comma: “I hope you are doing well, I am writing…”; use a full stop or a suitable conjunction. There are also problems with articles and sentence structure in “I want to give a full details,” and the clause “as you know being a full time team member … it was great” is difficult to follow. The request would be clearer as a direct, complete sentence. Use shorter sentences where needed, and check agreement, articles, and punctuation when combining clauses.
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