Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-17

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,

I am writing this to you , Because as you may know that our company AJAX international it is finally making deal with the WES international and due to that we have to make a portfolio to represtening to them and for that I have to spend 6 months at our company's headquarter which is located in U.A.E.

As I am aware that this project and deal is very important to our company and i am leading this project so that is my responsibility to make it happen and crack this deal at any how and for that i have to get information of the prject which I can only get it from the headquarter.

Behind my back my all the tasks and responsibilities will be done by one of my co-worker and I am also requesting you to look for the apartment and flight tickets so i can leave by tomorrow evening and start the things as soon as possible.

Yours Sincerely,

Go

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the main purpose of the letter and give a reason for the six-month placement: you are leading an important project and need information from the head office. You also explain that a co-worker could cover your duties and ask your manager to arrange accommodation and flights. However, the request is not fully developed: explain more clearly why six months is needed, how your work will be managed or handed over, and what specific assistance or approval you need. The abrupt request to leave “by tomorrow evening” is not supported by the earlier explanation and may sound unrealistic. A more complete, professionally framed request would make the purpose and arrangements clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable sequence: it introduces the proposed placement, explains its business purpose, then discusses cover and travel arrangements. This gives the reader a basic sense of the message. However, the ideas are packed into three long paragraphs, and the progression is weakened by repeated links such as “and for that” and “so that.” The opening sentence combines several points, making the reason for writing difficult to follow. The final request also moves suddenly from a colleague covering your work to flights and an immediate departure. Use shorter, focused paragraphs and clearer transitions, and separate the request for approval from practical arrangements.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use some vocabulary relevant to the situation, including “headquarter,” “project,” “responsibilities,” and “flight tickets,” so the basic message can be understood. However, the range is limited and several choices or forms are inaccurate or unsuitable for a formal letter. For example, “crack this deal at any how” is an awkward expression, while “Behind my back” does not mean that a colleague will cover your duties. There are also spelling errors such as “represtening” and “prject,” and “AJAX international” and “WES international” need consistent, accurate naming. Choose precise workplace collocations and maintain a professional tone throughout.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts some longer sentences with subordinate clauses, but these are often difficult to control, as in “Because as you may know that our company…” and “so that is my responsibility.” Sentence boundaries and punctuation are also inconsistent: the first paragraph contains several ideas joined together, and the comma before “Because” is misplaced. Other recurring issues include article and number forms in “our company's headquarter” and “one of my co-worker,” as well as inconsistent capitalisation of “I.” These errors sometimes make relationships between ideas unclear. Practise building accurate simple sentences first, then combine them with controlled clauses, and proofread for agreement, articles, and punctuation.

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