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 Sharma,

I am expressing my concern regarding the working hours at our company which I will have to change in order to study.

As a matter of fact, I am going to enroll in General Arts and Science course in St. Lawrence college in the upcoming week. That is why I will able to do work between friday and sunday. My classes will be from Monday to friday.

Also, there are a lot of assignments in this course as I will solely able to work on morning instaed of nights.This course is not only good for my personal development but also for career achievements. It helps to make our career more successful.So, I will have ability to give you extra assistance at your office to do paper works.

I would be appreciated if you could give me a flexible schedule according to my class time-table. Thanks for your time and consideration.

I am eagerly waiting to your response.

Yours Sincerely,

Rajvir Kaur.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the main purpose by explaining that you plan to study at St. Lawrence College and need a different schedule, and you suggest working from Friday to Sunday. You also attempt to explain a benefit to the employer, saying the course could help you provide extra assistance with office paperwork. However, the requested working hours are not fully clear: “between Friday and Sunday” gives days rather than specific hours, and the later reference to working in the morning is difficult to reconcile with your class schedule. The employer benefit is also only briefly stated and needs a clearer link to skills gained through the course. Develop these details and make the request more precise to address every part more fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter follows a generally understandable order: you introduce the schedule change, explain your studies, mention possible benefits, and close with a request. Connectors such as “That is why” and “Also” help show relationships between ideas. However, the progression is not always clear because the schedule information is spread across several sentences, and “between Friday and Sunday” is followed by “work on morning,” leaving the proposed arrangement uncertain. The benefit to the employer also shifts quickly from personal development to career success and then paperwork. Group the reason, proposed hours, and employer benefit into distinct, logically connected sections, and use clearer references so the reader can follow the request without having to infer details.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant workplace and study vocabulary, including “enroll,” “assignments,” “personal development,” and “flexible schedule,” which helps communicate the situation. There are also noticeable word-choice, collocation, and spelling problems that make parts of the letter less natural, such as “extra assistance at your office to do paper works,” “career achievements,” and “instaed.” Some phrases are vague or do not express the intended meaning precisely, particularly “I am expressing my concern regarding the working hours.” Aim for more conventional formal-letter wording and check spelling and collocations. For example, describe the request as a change to your working schedule and refer to “administrative paperwork” rather than “paper works.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including the contrast in “not only good for my personal development but also for career achievements.” The main message is usually understandable, but errors in verb forms, articles, and sentence construction occur across the letter. Examples include “I will able to do work,” “I will solely able to work,” and “I would be appreciated”; these need forms such as “I will be able to work” and “I would appreciate it.” The sentence about working in the morning is also difficult to interpret because its structure does not clearly connect the assignments, work hours, and classes. Practise accurate modal constructions and build longer sentences around one clear relationship at a time.

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