Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-04

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You work for an international company, and would like to spend six months working in its head office in another country. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter

• explain why you want to work in the company's head office for six months
• say how your work could be done while you are away
• ask for his/her help in arranging it

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Practice Test 1

Cambridge IELTS 13

Task 1

Your Answer & Feedback

Band Scores

Task Achievement

5.0

Coherence & Cohesion

5.5

Lexical Resource

5.0

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

5.0

Your Writing

140 words

Punctuation: 3

Grammar: 12

Spelling: 5

Word Choice: 1

Dear Mr. Williams,

I'm writing this request to ask you if it is possible to spend the next six months to work in our head office in UK or USA. I want to try a new experience in a new country. I have been working in Canada for 15 years ,now after my wife passed away since two months I feel that I want to spend more time out of the country.

Regarding my work my colleague Asam has agreed to cover my office duties and responsibilities while I'm away. mostly of the tasks I will cover them in distance, so this will not affect my work.

I need your help in arranging this transformation regarding the request aproved , new location and provide company accommodation for me.

I'm waiting for your prompt response and thank you for considering my request.

yours sincerely,

Manel Riahi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, describing how work will be covered, and asking for assistance. However, the development of these ideas is quite limited. The explanation regarding your personal situation is brief, and the plan for your work duties lacks specific detail, which makes the request feel somewhat informal and underdeveloped. To improve, you should expand on how your remote work will be managed and provide more professional justification for the transfer to ensure the manager sees the benefit to the company, not just your personal needs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your request. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. For example, the transition between your personal reasons and your work plan is abrupt. You rely on simple sentence structures and basic connectors like 'regarding' and 'so'. To achieve a higher band, try to use a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect your ideas more fluidly, such as 'consequently', 'furthermore', or 'in addition to this', which would improve the overall flow of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks the precision and professional tone required for a formal business letter. There are several noticeable errors in word choice, such as 'transformation' instead of 'transfer' or 'relocation', and 'aproved' (spelling error). Phrases like 'mostly of the tasks' are grammatically incorrect and unnatural. To improve, focus on using more precise business terminology and check your spelling of common words. Expanding your range of collocations—such as 'professional development' or 'temporary assignment'—would significantly enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The response contains a limited range of grammatical structures, consisting mostly of simple sentences. There are frequent errors that occasionally impede clarity, such as 'since two months' (should be 'two months ago'), 'cover them in distance' (should be 'remotely'), and 'mostly of the tasks'. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma placement. To reach a higher band, you need to demonstrate better control over complex sentence structures and ensure that basic subject-verb agreement and preposition usage are accurate. Proofreading for these recurring errors is essential.

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

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