Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-29

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 for reduction in my working hours in order to study part time. My instructor has been informed that my academic performance is weak which can effect on my exams. Therefore, my midterm exams are coming up so I need some time for improvment. I would like to work part time on weekends because I have classes on monday, tuesday and wednesday And rest of other two days I need time for my studies. I believe that my part time studies would benefit your employer. One of the main reason is many workers like to work on weekdays rather than weekends. So, It will be great for you that I will be available on weekends. Moreover, I would like to get time for my studies for improvement in communication skills and problem solving. As a result, positively impact on company by relying my good communication skills with the customers.

Thank you for your consideration and will wait for your answer.

Yours faithfully, Raman

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three requested points: you explain that your exams are approaching and you need study time, propose weekend work, and describe possible benefits through stronger communication and problem-solving skills. The request is clear and relevant. However, some points are less fully developed than others. For example, “many workers like to work on weekdays rather than weekends” is a broad claim, and you could explain more specifically how your availability would help cover weekend demand or support the team. The benefit to the employer is also stated rather than fully demonstrated. Clarify the exact schedule you are requesting and connect your studies more directly to improved work performance. The response meets the task’s length requirement; eight words copied from the prompt were excluded from the count.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter follows a generally sensible order: you make the request, explain your study needs, suggest a schedule, and describe benefits before closing politely. Linking expressions such as “Therefore,” “Moreover,” and “As a result” help show relationships between ideas. However, the progression is sometimes difficult to follow because several points are crowded into one paragraph, and some links do not clearly connect the ideas. For instance, the move from weekend availability to communication skills would be clearer if separated into distinct paragraphs. The reference in “benefit your employer” is also unclear because you are writing directly to your boss. Use paragraphing to group the request, proposed hours, and employer benefits, and make each transition more precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use vocabulary relevant to the situation, including “academic performance,” “midterm exams,” “communication skills,” and “problem solving.” These choices make your purpose understandable, and you attempt some formal language appropriate for a workplace letter. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “request you for reduction,” “effect on my exams,” and “relying my good communication skills.” There are also spelling and capitalization slips, including “improvment” and “monday.” These errors sometimes make the reader pause to interpret your meaning. Aim for more natural workplace phrases and check spelling and word forms carefully; for example, explain that your studies will help you “apply stronger communication skills when assisting customers.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a reason clause with “because” and a result structure beginning “As a result.” The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. For example, “I am writing to request you for reduction” has an incorrect verb pattern, while “One of the main reason is” has a singular-plural agreement problem. The sentence beginning “As a result, positively impact on company” is incomplete because it lacks a clear subject and finite verb. Punctuation and sentence boundaries also need attention, particularly the capitalized “And” after “wednesday.” Practise complete clauses and accurate verb patterns, and proofread agreement, articles, and punctuation.

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

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