Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-27

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 or madam,

I am writing this letter for seeking your attention that I would like to spend six months working in our head office, USA. I have been working for last 10 years on this company as an operation manager. Few days ago I got an email from our head office and they asking me to join their next project.

I think it is a good opportunity for developing my career and after working with diverse people around the world I could serve the knowledge among our team member.

I know it will be difficult for the company to balance work without me but I hope it will be fine. I will manage all pending works before I leave and I will join all the meetings by online.

It will be a great pleasure for me if you talk to the head office and manage all about about my interest on this matter . I can also provide my all documents and passport through our HR manager.

I am waiting to hear you prompt action.

yours faithfully

xyz

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state the purpose of the request, explain how your workload will be managed, and ask for the manager's assistance. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the explanation of how your work will be covered is quite brief, stating only that you will 'manage pending works' and 'join meetings online.' To improve, you should provide more specific details about how your responsibilities will be delegated or how you will ensure continuity. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though it could be more professional in certain sections.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your points. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'I think,' 'I know,' and 'It will be.' However, the flow between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the transition between the request and the logistical details could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, though the structure of the final paragraph is slightly abrupt. To reach a higher band, try to use a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect your ideas more fluidly, rather than relying on simple sentence starters.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your meaning, such as 'opportunity,' 'diverse,' and 'pending.' However, there are several instances of awkward phrasing and word choice errors, such as 'I am writing this letter for seeking your attention' (should be 'to seek your attention') and 'serve the knowledge' (should be 'share the knowledge'). Additionally, there is a repetition of the word 'about' in the phrase 'manage all about about my interest.' Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise professional collocations would significantly improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'I have been working for last 10 years on this company' (should be 'at this company'), 'they asking me' (should be 'they are asking me'), and 'I am waiting to hear you prompt action' (should be 'your prompt action'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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