Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-28

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 5.0)

dera sir

i am a employee of your company i am working 8 to 10 hours daily. now recently i have admission in new learning course this course is suitable for my job. its enhances my knowledge and my abilities, thats why i want you can reduce my working hours.

i request you please reduce my working hours i am work in morning but please change my slot time, shift my time in evening i realy thankful to you because therefore we have a many time for my study and increase my knowledge and enhance my abilities. its very useful to me for this job.

part time study have many benefits for me and my career. when i study i have a lot of knowlede about my work and how to work and analysis my work.

In the last we really thankful for your appearance and kindness.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the main purpose by explaining that you have enrolled in a course related to your job and asking to reduce or change your hours. However, the request is not fully clear: you mention working “8 to 10 hours daily” and ask to move your shift to the evening, but do not specify the exact hours you would like to work. The benefit to your employer is also underdeveloped; you mainly describe how studying will help you, rather than explaining how your improved knowledge or abilities would support the company. The response is 147 words, so it falls three words short of the required minimum. Develop the employer benefit and state a precise proposed schedule.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The letter has some organisation: it moves from your reason for studying to your request and then to the possible benefits. Paragraph breaks help separate these points. However, the progression is not consistently clear, and several ideas are repeated, particularly that studying will increase your knowledge and abilities. Linking expressions such as “thats why” and “therefore” do not always show the relationship between ideas accurately, while “In the last” does not provide a clear closing transition. Use one paragraph for your reason, one for the exact schedule, and one for the employer benefit and polite closing. Clearer links between these sections would make the message easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use a small set of relevant words, including “admission,” “course,” “knowledge,” and “abilities,” so the reader can identify the topic and your purpose. However, the vocabulary is limited and several choices or combinations sound unnatural, such as “reduce my working hours,” “change my slot time,” and “thankful for your appearance.” Spelling errors, including “realy” and “knowlede,” also make the writing less polished. Try using more precise workplace and study-related expressions, and check spelling before sending the letter. For example, describe the hours as a “work schedule” and explain how the course will help you “apply new skills” in your role.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response relies mainly on short, simple statements, with attempts to connect ideas in longer sentences. However, these longer structures are often faulty, and frequent errors sometimes make the intended meaning difficult to follow. Examples include “i am a employee,” “i have admission,” and “i want you can reduce my working hours.” Verb forms and sentence construction also cause problems in “i am work in morning” and “when i study i have a lot of knowlede about my work and how to work and analysis my work.” Practise forming clear requests and using consistent verb patterns, such as “I would like to reduce my hours” and “I would work from [time] to [time].”

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

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