Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-08
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/Ma'am
I am an employee in your team as sales officer. As you know that there was an competition in all sales department office of India region in June. Based on there monthly sale targets. As you from our office i was the one who has the highest number of sales in that month. Now i get the chance for working in the head office of our company for six months in U.S.A. As it is good opportunity for me to learn new skills. That's the reason i want to shift there for six months.
You might remember that sales team have two extra employees for the sales team. So do not suppose that there could not be any problems to achieving our monthly targets.
Considering my dedication towards our department and for the company. I wish you help me for sorting things and also in some documents which are required for the visa process. I need and letter from your side under you mention my work and character. At last hoping for positive response from your side.
Your Faithfully
Gurman
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The letter addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You explain your motivation for the transfer, suggest how your workload can be managed by the remaining team, and request assistance with the visa process. However, the development of these points is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of how your work will be covered is vague, and the tone is occasionally informal or slightly demanding rather than professional. To improve, ensure that your ideas are fully extended with more specific details, and maintain a consistently formal tone appropriate for a request to a manager.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your request. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For example, the transition 'At last hoping for positive response' is grammatically awkward and lacks a smooth connection to the previous sentence. Additionally, some sentences are fragmented or lack clear logical links, such as the transition between your sales achievement and the request for the transfer. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words would significantly enhance the flow of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your intentions clearly. You use some relevant business-related terms like 'sales targets' and 'visa process'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'there was an competition' (should be 'a competition') and 'sorting things' (which is too informal). To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise professional collocations and avoid repetitive or overly simplistic expressions. Expanding your range of vocabulary to include more sophisticated business terminology would be beneficial.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Common issues include subject-verb agreement ('sales team have' instead of 'has'), article usage ('an competition'), and punctuation errors. Some sentences are also grammatically incomplete or poorly constructed, such as 'As you from our office i was the one'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to lower the score. Focusing on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and article 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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