Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-21
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 Manager,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to request that i am intrested in spending six months working in the head office in united kingdom. As i have been working here since last year, ow i wants to learn something new which will able me add more skills.
As you know taht the working procedures in the head office are quite different from the wokings of our current office, and you are aware that i am hardworking and adaptive to the new environment i can learn there in more different ways and can excel my talent in the progress of the company.
In this regard i need your help as well in arranging my stay there as you have already experinced this and worked there for a long time. Kindly guide me how i should move there what schedule and routine i should follow. This will help me a lot in my survival there.
Looking forward to your response. Thank you for your time and support.
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 candidate successfully covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. The letter explains the desire to work in the head office for six months to learn new things and gain skills, touches upon how work could be handled through adaptation and showcasing talent, and asks the manager for help in arranging the stay and navigating routines. Although some ideas are slightly under-developed and phrasing is basic, all communicative requirements of a General Training Task 1 letter are met. The tone is appropriate for addressing a manager. According to the band descriptors, this performance aligns comfortably with a Band 6.0, as all parts of the task are addressed, even though development is somewhat limited in places.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement with a standard opening and closing. Paragraphing is used to separate different points, such as the initial request and reasons, followed by the request for assistance. However, transitions between sentences and ideas are occasionally mechanical or abrupt, for example in sentences like 'As you know taht the working procedures...' and 'In this regard i need your help...'. Referencing and cohesive devices are sometimes faulty, but the overall progression of information remains clear enough for the reader to follow the writer's intent without confusion. This corresponds well to the Band 6.0 descriptors for Coherence and Cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully conveying general meanings related to employment and relocation, such as 'hardworking', 'adaptive', and 'arranging my stay'. However, there are notable spelling errors and inaccurate word choices throughout the text, including 'intrested', 'united kingdom' (lack of capitalization), 'ow i wants', 'able me add', 'taht', 'wokings', and 'experinced'. These lexical inaccuracies and spelling slips prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. Nevertheless, the vocabulary is minimally sufficient to communicate the core message, placing it firmly at Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an attempt to use subordinate clauses, as seen in 'As i have been working here since last year, ow i wants to learn...' and '...you are aware that i am hardworking and adaptive...'. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, with frequent errors in capitalization ('i', 'united kingdom'), subject-verb agreement ('ow i wants', 'which will able me'), and punctuation. While these errors are noticeable and require the reader to occasionally pause, they do not completely impede communication. This balance of mixed structures and persistent errors is characteristic of a Band 5.5 performance.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.