Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-24

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)

Dear sir,

I am writing this letter on behalf of my work that I would appreciate if you give me permission to work in the head office.

Well here I would like to brief you that i want to gain more knowledge and get more experience for my work which I feel I am lacking. By doing this it can be profitable to me any ways like gain more more knowledge and can increase the salary. Reason is that would like to know more about the company and can even make profit for the firm.

However my friend will be looking after my work and my post and he is capable of doing all the possible work which is given by me. So will be helpful to all staff and he will even coordinate with you.

So it is my humble request to give him my position for six months as i will be highly obliged thank you sir.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the coverage of duties, and the request for assistance. However, the development of these points is quite limited. The explanation of why you want to work at the head office is repetitive and lacks professional depth. Furthermore, the suggestion that a 'friend' will look after your work is unprofessional and lacks the necessary detail regarding a formal handover or professional delegation process. To improve, you should provide more specific professional reasons for the transfer and outline a more structured plan for your workload, which would better reflect the requirements of a formal business letter.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into short paragraphs, which is a positive step. However, the progression of ideas is somewhat disjointed. The use of cohesive devices is very limited and often mechanical, such as the repetitive use of 'and' or 'so'. Transitions between sentences are weak, making the flow feel choppy. For example, the jump from discussing salary to the friend taking over the post lacks a clear logical bridge. To improve, you should use a wider variety of linking words and phrases (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', 'In addition to this') to connect your ideas more fluidly and logically.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

The vocabulary is basic and repetitive. Phrases like 'gain more more knowledge' and 'do all the possible work' are simplistic and lack the professional tone required for a letter to a manager. There is little evidence of less common lexical items or collocations appropriate for a business context. The phrasing is often awkward, such as 'on behalf of my work', which does not convey the intended meaning clearly. To achieve a higher band, you need to incorporate more precise business-related vocabulary and avoid repeating the same words within the same sentence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

The letter relies heavily on simple sentence structures. While there are some attempts at complex sentences, they are often grammatically incorrect or awkward, such as 'I am writing this letter on behalf of my work that I would appreciate if you give me permission'. There are frequent errors in punctuation, verb tense, and word order, such as 'By doing this it can be profitable to me any ways'. These errors occasionally make the reader work harder to understand your meaning. Increasing the variety of sentence structures and focusing on subject-verb agreement will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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