Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-06

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You work for an international company. You have seen an advertisement for a training course which will be useful for your job.

Write a letter to your manager. In your letter

• describe the training course you want to do
• explain what the company could do to help you
• say how the course will be useful for your job

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

I am writing to request you for changing my work timing which is 10 am - 6.30 pm to 8.30 am to 5pm .Since I am planning to join that finance and accounting training course and timing for that is 6 pm to 8 pm.

I has been promoted to HR position for 1 month however, I still find some obstacles to manager accounts of employees. Therefore, I am eager to join this program to sharpen my skills .

This finance program will not only eliminates my need of taking help from you but also make me more quick at workplace. Other than that, I would able to assist you to manage your branch work.

Kindly let me konw if I could start work early in the morning through this email.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the development of the task. While you addressed the three bullet points, the ideas are underdeveloped. For instance, you mention the training course but provide very little detail about its content or duration. The request for a schedule change is clear, but the explanation of how the company can help is limited to a simple time adjustment. To improve, you should expand on the benefits of the course and provide more professional context regarding your role and the specific skills you hope to acquire.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is divided into short paragraphs, which is appropriate for a formal letter. However, the logical flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed. For example, the transition between your promotion and the need for the course is abrupt. You use some cohesive devices like 'Therefore' and 'Other than that', but the overall structure feels mechanical. To achieve a higher band, ensure that your ideas follow a more natural progression and use a wider variety of linking words to connect your thoughts more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the sophistication expected at higher levels. You use basic phrases like 'find some obstacles' and 'make me more quick'. There are also minor errors in word choice, such as 'manager accounts' instead of 'manage accounts'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise professional terminology related to finance and HR, and work on collocations to make your writing sound more natural and academic.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'I has been promoted' (subject-verb agreement) and 'would able to' (missing verb 'be'). The sentence structure is mostly simple, with limited attempts at complex sentences. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and verb forms prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring that auxiliary verbs are used correctly in your future writing.

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

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