Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-20

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

 

You started in your present job two years ago. You now feel it is important for your career development to move to a different department in the same company.

Write a letter to your manager. In your letter

• say what you have learned in your present job
• suggest how the company would benefit from moving you to a different department
• explain why you do not wish to leave the company

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ....................................,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear sir,

I am Puneet Sharma and I am working in your company since last two years as sales head. Now I am decided to change my department and move in workshop department .

I think my learning stage is now finished and learn lots of things to handle customers problems and how to solve any complaints and matter. I have diploma of automobile engineering so that I have good knowledge of spare parts and good mechanic skill. I think with my knowledge my productivity will be very improve. I have offer to move other company but I think this company is best in this industry so its humble request of my side kindly change my department.

Hoping to hear a prompt and positive response from your side.

Regards,

Puneet Sharma.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: what has been learned, the benefits of moving departments, and the desire to stay with the company. However, the response is significantly under the 150-word minimum, which limits the depth of development. The ideas are presented but lack the necessary expansion to fully satisfy the task requirements. For instance, the explanation of how the company would benefit is quite brief. To improve, you should elaborate on your specific contributions and provide more detail regarding your professional growth. Because the response is under-length, it cannot reach a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter follows a basic logical structure, beginning with an introduction, moving to the body, and concluding with a sign-off. However, the paragraphing is insufficient, as the entire body is contained in one block. The use of cohesive devices is very limited, relying on simple connectors like 'and' or 'but'. To improve, you should use a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'consequently', 'in addition') to connect your ideas more fluidly. The progression of ideas is clear, but the lack of paragraph breaks and limited transition markers makes the text feel somewhat disjointed.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is functional but basic. You use some relevant terms like 'sales head', 'automobile engineering', and 'spare parts', which are appropriate for the context. However, there is a lack of variety and some awkward phrasing, such as 'my learning stage is now finished' and 'my productivity will be very improve'. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message, but it lacks the precision and range required for a higher band. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and avoiding repetitive sentence structures.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'I am working in your company since last two years' (should be 'have been working... for the last two years'), 'I am decided to change' (should be 'I have decided'), and 'its humble request of my side' (should be 'it is a humble request on my part'). The sentence structures are mostly simple, with few attempts at complex sentences. While the meaning is generally understandable, the high frequency of errors in basic verb tenses and prepositions significantly impacts the quality of the writing.

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

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