Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-30

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 4.0)

Dear Ms.Anderson,

I am writing this letter to request a time reducing with my working hours if possible, one of the university in California offered a full time scholarship to me in college. I have decided to take this opportunity because I want to continue my study in college, during my breaktime in working hours I want to find myself more productive and passionate.

I would like to request to adjust my 8 hours of duty at your company, so that I would maximise my time manageably. Liked

washing my clothes and cleaning the house once a week, However, during afternoon I want to go in school but someitime

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You identify a clear reason for requesting reduced hours: you have received a university scholarship and want to continue your studies. However, the request is not fully explained: the proposed working schedule is unclear, and the benefit your studies would bring to your employer is not addressed. The reference to doing laundry and cleaning does not answer the task and distracts from the workplace request. The letter also stops mid-sentence, leaving the afternoon schedule unfinished. The response is 109 words, below the required 150, so there is not enough development to cover all three points. Explain your study plans, specify exact working days and hours, and give a relevant employer benefit, such as applying new skills at work.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 3.0

The opening makes the purpose of the letter apparent, and the scholarship provides a basic progression from reason to request. However, the ideas are crowded into one paragraph, and the sequence becomes difficult to follow when the discussion shifts to managing time, laundry, and cleaning. The transition from the requested eight-hour duty to afternoon classes is incomplete, and the final phrase ends without finishing the thought. This makes the letter feel unfinished rather than like a complete request. Use separate paragraphs for your reason, proposed schedule, and benefit to the employer, and connect each point clearly so the reader can follow the proposal.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some task-relevant vocabulary, including “scholarship,” “working hours,” and “productive,” which helps communicate the general situation. However, several phrases are inaccurate or unnatural and make the request harder to understand, such as “a time reducing,” “continue my study,” and “maximise my time manageably.” “Breaktime in working hours” is also unclear in this context. The vocabulary range is limited, and the wording does not yet express the proposed arrangement or workplace benefits precisely. Choose common, natural collocations for a formal request, such as “reduce my working hours,” “continue my studies,” and “apply what I learn to my role.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine ideas using clauses, for example, “I have decided to take this opportunity because…,” and the main reason is generally understandable. However, sentence structures are often faulty or incomplete. The opening sentence joins the request and scholarship information without a clear grammatical connection, while “Liked washing my clothes…” is not a complete sentence. The final clause beginning “but sometime” is also unfinished. There are problems with articles and number, as in “one of the university,” and with sentence boundaries and punctuation. Aim for complete, shorter sentences first, then add accurately formed complex sentences. Check that every sentence has a clear subject and verb and that the letter ends with a complete proposal.

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