Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-29

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 Mr. Patel,

I am writing to request about working in head office of company.

I want to continue my job in head office of our company for six months in Dubai. As we know that the benefits if working in foreign countries our numberless and help to enhance our skills.

I can do my work without any problem living away from industry by internet. And another way is that I can do all my meetings online. Ther other thing is that I will complete my pending work before starting work in another location.

I want you just help me to continue my job in head office and arrange documents of transfer in this place. Thank you for your attention and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours Faithfully,

Pooja Sharma

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points, but the development is insufficient. The explanation for wanting to work in Dubai is vague, and the proposal for how work will be handled is underdeveloped. Furthermore, the response is 18 words under the 150-word minimum requirement, which significantly impacts the score. To improve, you should expand on the professional benefits of the transfer and provide more concrete details regarding your workflow management. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, but the lack of depth prevents a higher score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is quite limited and mechanical. Phrases like 'And another way is that' and 'Ther other thing is that' are repetitive and lack sophistication. To improve, you should use a wider variety of linking words and transition phrases (e.g., 'Furthermore,' 'In addition to this,' 'Consequently') to create a smoother flow between your ideas and sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. Phrases like 'do my work' and 'continue my job' are functional but lack the professional nuance expected in a business letter. There are also minor errors, such as 'industry' used incorrectly to refer to the office environment. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise business-related terminology and avoid repetitive phrasing. Focus on using collocations that sound more natural in a professional context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'request about working' (should be 'request to work'), 'benefits if working' (should be 'benefits of working'), and 'arrange documents of transfer in this place' (awkward phrasing). Punctuation and article usage are also inconsistent. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors indicates a need for more careful proofreading and a better grasp of English sentence construction.

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

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