Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-10-21

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 5.0)

Dear Mr. Morgan,

I am writing this letter to inform you that i want to spend my half year working in main office in another brance abroad. I have an family issue that is why i need some distance .

fist of all i been working in our company for mor than 5 years and im happy and contented for all benefits and allowances , i dont have any issue for management and colleage my main probem why i need to work in abroad is my family problem i want to open up about it but it is to personal talk , days past i can fucos to my work and sometime some of my family member came in our office and make me ashame and i dont want to make it happen again .

however all the assignment that you give to me i already done i give to my assistant john and i tolk him he will present it on monday .

Hope you will approve my request sir im looking forward to your repply thank in advance .

sincerely yours :

Joemel Janagap

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You make the main purpose clear: you want to spend six months at the overseas head office because of a personal family situation, and you ask your manager to approve the request. However, the task is only partly addressed because the work-arrangement point is not explained sufficiently. Saying that you have given assignments to John and that he will present one on Monday describes a short-term handover, not how your responsibilities would be managed throughout the six months. The reason for wanting the placement is also vague, and the letter does not explain why working at the head office would help. Briefly state the professional benefit and propose a clear plan for covering your duties while away.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The letter has a recognisable opening, body and closing, and the reader can identify its main purpose. You also use basic linking expressions such as “first of all” and “however.” However, the ideas do not progress clearly: the family issue is repeated, while the handover information appears abruptly near the end and is not connected to a six-month plan. The long middle paragraph combines your work history, personal circumstances and workplace concerns, making the message difficult to follow. Organise the letter into focused paragraphs—for example, request and reason, work coverage, then a polite request for assistance—and use transitions that show how each point relates to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the general situation, with relevant expressions such as “head office,” “family issue,” “assistant” and “approve my request.” However, the range is limited, and several spelling and word-choice errors make parts of the letter difficult to understand, including “brance,” “ashame,” “fucos” and “repply.” Some phrases are also unnatural or unclear, such as “spend my half year working” and “days past.” Use more precise workplace language to explain the arrangement, and check spelling carefully. A more tactful phrase such as “a personal family matter” would also communicate your reason appropriately without requiring private details.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect ideas in longer sentences, but the range of structures is limited and these attempts often contain errors that can make the message hard to follow. For example, “I have an family issue that is why i need some distance” joins two clauses without suitable punctuation, while “fist of all i been working” is missing the auxiliary verb and has an incorrect verb form. There are also recurring problems with articles, capitalization and sentence boundaries, as in “in main office” and the lowercase “i.” Aim for accurate, complete sentences first: “I have been working for the company for more than five years.” Then use a few correctly formed complex sentences to explain your reason and proposed coverage.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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