Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Manager,

I am writing to request for temporary reduction in my working hours at work to enroll part time in University for the Accounting course.

As this course will demand significant amount of study hours to fulfill assignments and prepare for exams. I would like my work schedule to be reduced till 2 PM , which will be two hours on Thursday and Friday and four in-total as I have to attend lecturers later in evening. This will give me time to relax before the class starts so I can give serious attention to the study.

Other than that my availability will not be affected at work as from Monday to Wednesday it will be normal working hours because I have lecturers in the weekend under the course timing's.

This enrollement of my part time study in Accounting will help us company with an extra resource at the time of Auditing in the end of calender year for ledger check.

I am looking forward to hear for from your side and also open to discuss my work hours if more effort needed from my end.

Yours Truly,

Alex

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three requested points: you explain that the accounting course requires time for assignments and exams, propose a change to your schedule, and describe a possible benefit during the year-end audit. The request is clear and appropriately framed as temporary. However, the proposed hours are difficult to interpret: “reduced till 2 PM” does not specify your start time, and “two hours on Thursday and Friday and four in-total” leaves the weekly arrangement unclear. The employer benefit is relevant but briefly stated; explain more specifically how your accounting knowledge could support ledger checks or audit preparation. These details would make the response more fully developed and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a sensible overall sequence: request and reason, proposed schedule, effect on availability, employer benefit, and a closing offer to discuss the arrangement. Paragraphing helps distinguish these points, and phrases such as “Other than that” and “This will give me time” guide the reader through your explanation. Some connections are less clear, however. “As this course will demand…” is left as a sentence fragment, while “which will be two hours on Thursday and Friday and four in-total” makes the schedule hard to follow. The transition “Other than that” is also slightly vague. Use complete sentences and clearer links between the schedule and your availability to make progression more effortless.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range for a workplace request, including relevant terms such as “temporary reduction,” “assignments,” “lecturers,” “Accounting,” and “Auditing.” These show an attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary, and your meaning is generally understandable. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, though: “request for temporary reduction” would be more natural as “request a temporary reduction,” and “extra resource” is unclear in this context. There are also spelling or form errors, including “enrollement,” “calender,” and “timing's.” Choose conventional workplace phrasing and proofread spelling and word forms; this would make the letter sound more precise and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, for example explaining the reason for the request and linking the schedule to your study needs. The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. “As this course will demand significant amount of study hours…” is a dependent clause without a main clause, and “I am looking forward to hear” needs the gerund form “hearing.” In “I would like my work schedule to be reduced till 2 PM,” the time expression and construction do not clearly express the hours you want to work. Review articles, clause completeness, and verb patterns, and use punctuation to separate complete ideas. More accurate control of these structures would strengthen the letter.

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

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