Band 4.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-31

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 4.5)

Dear Maam,

I am armin pedraza,Iwould like to request that if you could reduce my working hours for the week.If you'll allow me to work at 8:00 am up until 12:00 in the afternoon,because as a working student it will help me to focus and have enough time for my studies.

Im hoping for reply before Monday. thank you so much.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.5

You make a relevant request and give a reason: studying as a working student would help you focus and leave enough time for your studies. You also specify a proposed schedule, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. However, the response addresses the task only partially. It does not explain the studies in any detail, and the required benefit to your employer is missing. The request is also very brief, so the purpose and supporting ideas are under-developed. In addition, the response is 61 words, below the required minimum of 150. To strengthen the letter, explain your course and motivation, describe how your proposed hours would work, and give a specific example of how your studies could benefit your employer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The main points appear in a sensible basic order: you make the request, give your preferred hours, and explain that you need time to study. This makes the central message understandable. However, the letter has no paragraphing or clear progression beyond this short sequence, and the ideas are compressed into one main sentence. The closing, “Im hoping for reply before Monday,” is not clearly connected to a fuller explanation of the request. Use separate paragraphs for your reason, proposed schedule, and employer benefit, then add a polite closing sentence. Linking phrases such as “This schedule would allow me to…” and “In return, my studies could help the company by…” would make the relationships between ideas clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is limited but sufficient to communicate the basic request. Phrases such as “reduce my working hours,” “focus,” and “enough time for my studies” are relevant and generally understandable. However, the range is narrow, and some wording is awkward or imprecise, including “for the week” and “up until 12:00 in the afternoon.” The letter also does not use vocabulary to explain how your studies relate to your employer’s needs. Aim for more precise workplace and study-related expressions, such as “adjust my weekly schedule,” “complete my coursework,” or “apply the skills I gain to my role.” This would help you express the purpose and potential benefit more clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You communicate the basic request using simple structures, and the time range is understandable. There is also an attempt to form a conditional request in “If you'll allow me to work…,” but this is left as a sentence fragment rather than being joined to a complete main clause. Other errors include “I am armin pedraza,Iwould,” where sentence boundaries and spacing are missing, and “Im hoping for reply,” which needs an apostrophe and an article. The response relies on a narrow range of sentence forms, so the request and explanation are not expressed with much grammatical variety. Practise complete sentences and polite request structures, for example: “I would be grateful if you could approve a schedule from 8:00 a.m. to noon.”

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

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