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/Madam,

I am writing to inform you that I should have to go to the head office which is located in the Canada, to solve the major issue about the our company's network system.

I would like to work there because it allow me to gain experience of about six month while solving the problem of networking. The system of all the other countries like US,africa and India are controlled from the head office. I have tried several time to protect our official websites from US, but this attemps always help temoporarly.

As I have to stay there for a period of six month I would hand over my work and position tomy coworker name Anzar who just got hired.

It would be appriciated if you arrange a flight tickets and accomodation while I would be solving this problem permanently.

Looking forward to hearing from you at the earliest convenient.

Yours Faithfully

Mohammed Shaikh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address the main purpose and include all three requested elements: you explain your interest in working at the head office, propose handing your duties to a colleague, and ask your manager to arrange travel and accommodation. The reason is relevant, especially your wish to gain experience while helping resolve the network problem. However, the explanation of how your work would be managed is brief and focuses on handing over your position, without clarifying whether you would continue any duties remotely or how the handover would work. The request also presents the trip as something you have already decided (“I should have to go”), rather than clearly seeking approval for a six-month placement. Develop these points and make the request more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a recognisable structure: an opening purpose, supporting details, a proposed handover, and a closing request. The paragraphs generally separate the main ideas, so the reader can follow the overall message. Some links between ideas are less clear, however. For example, the move from wanting experience to describing website protection does not fully explain how the two points connect, and “As I have to stay there” treats the arrangement as settled before you have asked for approval. The closing phrase “at the earliest convenient” is also incomplete, which weakens the final transition. Use clearer sequencing and references, and connect the network issue, proposed placement, and handover more directly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use task-relevant vocabulary such as “head office,” “network system,” “gain experience,” and “accommodation,” which makes the main topic clear. There are also attempts at more specific language, including “protect our official websites” and “solving this problem permanently.” However, several spelling errors and awkward word combinations reduce precision, including “attemps,” “temoporarly,” “flight tickets,” and “solve the major issue about the … network system.” Some expressions are also unclear, such as “the system of all the other countries … are controlled,” where the intended meaning could be stated more naturally. Build accuracy in spelling and collocation, and choose precise phrases such as “resolve the network issue” or “arrange a flight and accommodation.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more developed sentence forms, including the reason clause “because it allow me to gain experience” and the time clause “while I would be solving this problem.” The overall meaning is usually understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity and control. Examples include subject–verb agreement in “it allow,” article and preposition problems in “in the Canada,” and the incorrect construction “about the our company’s network system.” The sentence about systems in other countries also has a mismatch between the plural subject and “are controlled” only if the intended subject is singular; clarify the subject to ensure agreement. Review articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries, while continuing to practise complex clauses.

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