Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-03

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 to inform you about one of a current situation that requires your attention.

I have been working in this company for last 10 years as an operations manager. Few days ago I received an email from our head office, USA. They invited me to attend their next workshop that takes about six months. I want to attend this workshop because it can help me improve my management skills and this skills will help to increase company's productivity in the long run.

I also aware that, it will be difficult to run all projects without me but I ensure you that I will attend every meetings by online and also command every steps to my team members.

I would be grateful if you look into this matter as soon as possible and help me on the further arrangements. Thank u for your time and assistance.

Yours faithfully

xyz

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, proposing a plan for work coverage, and requesting assistance. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal business letter, although the opening 'Dear sir or madam' is slightly generic given the context of writing to a manager. The ideas are relevant, though the explanation of how work will be covered is somewhat vague, relying on phrases like 'command every steps' which lacks professional detail. Overall, the task is addressed adequately, but the development of ideas could be more specific to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The letter follows a logical structure, with each paragraph addressing a specific requirement of the task. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. For example, the transition between the explanation of the workshop and the plan for work coverage is abrupt. Paragraphing is present, but the flow between sentences could be improved with more varied linking words. The referencing is generally clear, but the overall progression of ideas feels a bit disjointed due to the simple sentence structures used throughout the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. There are several instances of awkward phrasing or incorrect word choices, such as 'one of a current situation' (should be 'a current situation') and 'command every steps' (should be 'oversee every step'). The use of 'thank u' is inappropriate for a formal letter and should be written as 'thank you'. While the meaning is clear, the student relies on basic vocabulary and struggles with collocations, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'for last 10 years' (missing 'the'), 'I also aware that' (missing 'am'), and 'attend every meetings' (should be 'meeting'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the errors in subject-verb agreement and article usage are noticeable. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to suggest a lack of control over complex structures, keeping the score in the mid-range.

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

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