Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-13

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 Sakshi,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter regarding a request about to spend six months working in Genesis head office in Dubai because of my school term break which starts from next month January to June. In tandem with this, during this given duration. I can work as a full-time worker, so I can manage my tuition fees and other expenses easily. Moreover, I also decided that in the head office(Dubai) I can work for security supervisor position due to my previous work experience.

However, one of my experienced friend Anmol will manage my whole duties in Canada, while I am away from my current job. In tandem with this, Anmol also have same work experience in the blackbird security. In addition, I would be thankful to Genesis security, if you help me to book my travel ticket from canada to Dubai

I look forward to your prompt response

Your employee

Harsimran Sandhu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the main purpose by requesting a six-month placement in Dubai, explaining that the break from your studies would let you work full time and cover tuition and other expenses, and proposing that Anmol cover your duties in Canada. However, the reason for wanting the company’s head office specifically is not fully explained; the focus shifts to your school break and finances. The offer to work as a security supervisor is relevant, but the arrangement and your suitability could be developed more clearly. Your request for help is mainly about booking a ticket, rather than asking your manager to help arrange the placement as a whole. Clarifying these points would make the letter more complete and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter follows a recognisable sequence: it introduces the request, explains your availability and experience, proposes cover for your current duties, and closes with a request and sign-off. This gives the reader a basic overall structure. However, the ideas are crowded into two long paragraphs, and the transition “In tandem with this” is repeated and does not clearly show how the points relate. The sentence fragment “during this given duration” interrupts the opening explanation, while “However” does not express a clear contrast before introducing Anmol. Use separate paragraphs for your reasons, the work-cover plan, and the request, and connect each point with simpler, more precise transitions.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant workplace vocabulary, including “head office,” “full-time worker,” “security supervisor,” and “work experience,” so the reader can understand the main subject. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “I would be thankful.” However, several expressions are awkward or imprecise: “a request about to spend” does not naturally introduce the request, “manage my whole duties” is not an idiomatic collocation, and “prompt response” sounds abrupt in this context. “In tandem with this” is also repeated where a simpler link would be clearer. Choose conventional professional phrases and check collocations; this will make the letter sound more natural and precise without changing its meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts both simple and longer sentence forms, for example the opening sentence explaining the proposed placement and the sentence about Anmol covering your duties. The main message remains understandable, but errors in sentence construction and agreement are noticeable. “I am writing this letter regarding a request about to spend” is not a complete, well-formed request structure, and “during this given duration” is a fragment. In “Anmol also have same work experience,” the verb does not agree with the singular subject, and the article is missing. Punctuation and sentence boundaries also need attention, particularly around “In tandem with this, during this given duration.” Practise forming clear request sentences and checking each clause for a subject and verb.

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.