Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-05

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You would like to reduce your working hours in order to study part time.

Write a letter to your boss. In your letter

  • explain why you want to reduce your working hours
  • say which hours you would like to work
  • describe how your part-time studies would benefit your employer

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ....................................,

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Dear Mr. Smith,

I am writing to ask if you could reduce my working hours because I am starting part-time courses.

I am enrolled in a Business Management course at Western Community College to improve my business skills. My classes are in the early mornings, from 8:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. After class, I will be tired and unable to complete my shift. Along with this, I also have a few assignments to do. I would like to work on weekends: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Moreover, I believe this course will benefit our company. I will learn new ways and techniques to grow our company, as well as it help me learn more about the stock market on which our business depends. Now it's a great opportunity to grow the company. I will greatly appreciate it if you could accept my request and discuss my new schedule with me.

Thank you.

Your Sincerly,

Muskan Mittu

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.0
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.5

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three required points and maintains a clear, polite request. You explain that you are taking a Business Management course to improve your skills, specify the proposed working days as Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and describe potential benefits to the company, including learning techniques to help it grow. These relevant details support the purpose of the letter. The employer benefit is the least developed point: “new ways and techniques” is broad, and the reference to the stock market is not clearly connected to the company’s work. Explain more specifically how your studies could improve a business task or decision. A clearer, more detailed account of that benefit would make the response more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear progression: you make the request, explain your studies and proposed schedule, then discuss the employer’s benefit and close politely. Paragraphing helps distinguish the main stages, and linking expressions such as “Along with this” and “Moreover” guide the reader through the points. The sequence within the schedule explanation could be clearer, since you mention morning classes and fatigue before stating the weekend hours you want to work. Also, “Along with this” and “Moreover” make some connections feel slightly mechanical. State the requested schedule directly after explaining your class times, and use more precise links to show cause and effect.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the purpose and includes relevant terms such as “part-time courses,” “Business Management,” “assignments,” and “stock market.” These choices make the situation understandable, and the tone is generally appropriate for a workplace letter. However, some expressions are broad or awkwardly combined, including “new ways and techniques to grow our company” and “on which our business depends.” “After class, I will be tired” is clear but informal and does not explain the practical scheduling issue precisely. Choose more specific workplace language, such as describing how the course will strengthen your business or financial decision-making skills. Check spelling and conventional letter phrases too: “Sincerly” should be “Sincerely.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the conditional request “I would like to work…” and the clause “if you could accept my request.” Most sentences communicate their meaning clearly, and errors do not prevent the reader from following the letter. Some grammatical problems remain. In “as well as it help me learn,” the structure is faulty; use “as well as helping me learn” or “and it will help me learn.” The phrase “I am enrolled … to improve my business skills” could also make clearer who will improve those skills. Review parallel structures and ensure that clauses have a clear subject and verb. More consistently controlled complex sentences would strengthen accuracy.

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

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