Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-06

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 Sir Idrees,

I hope you are well. I am writing to request a reduction in my working hours so that I can study part time.

Recently, I enrolled in an online AI course offered by our university in collaboration with the Government of Punjab. The course needs a lot of time and regular practice, and I also want to keep my GPA high. At the moment, I work a 12-hour shift, so it has become very difficult for me to balance my job and my studies.

I would like to work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Saturday. This would give me enough time in the evenings to attend classes and complete my assignments. I am also happy to work extra hours during busy periods if you need me.

I believe my studies will be very useful for the company. I am learning the latest AI techniques, and I could use them to make our systems faster, more efficient and more reliable. I would also like to work in the AI department, because I perform well in this field and I can apply what I learn immediately.

I hope you will pay attention to my request and hope to deal with you again.Thanks

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three requirements and maintains a clear, polite request. You explain the reason with relevant detail: the AI course requires regular practice, and your 12-hour shift makes it difficult to balance work and study. You specify a workable schedule, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Monday to Saturday, and connect your studies to employer benefits by mentioning faster, more efficient and reliable systems. The offer to work extra hours during busy periods also supports your request. The benefit is somewhat less developed than the explanation of your circumstances; for example, you could identify a specific task or project where your AI skills could be applied. The closing is less appropriate in tone and purpose, but the main task is clearly fulfilled.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The information is arranged in a sensible sequence: request and reason, proposed hours, then benefits to the company. Paragraphing helps distinguish these points, and links such as “so that,” “At the moment,” and “I believe” make the progression easy to follow. The schedule and its purpose are also connected clearly. However, the final sentence repeats “hope” and combines an unclear closing thought with “Thanks,” while the missing space in “again.Thanks” makes the ending feel rushed. The letter is coherent overall, but some cohesion is achieved through straightforward, predictable links rather than more flexible referencing. Use a conventional closing, such as “Thank you for considering my request,” to finish the letter smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a workplace request, including “reduction in my working hours,” “regular practice,” “balance my job and my studies,” and “latest AI techniques.” These phrases communicate the situation and proposed benefits clearly, and the vocabulary is generally appropriate to the topic. Some wording is less natural or precise: “pay attention to my request” does not convey the intended meaning as politely as “consider my request,” and “hope to deal with you again” is unsuitable for a letter to a current boss. “Work extra hours during busy periods” is clear but could be expressed more professionally as “provide additional cover during peak periods.” More precise collocations and a conventional closing would strengthen the overall control of word choice.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The letter includes a useful mix of simple and complex sentence forms. For example, “I am writing to request a reduction … so that I can study part time” uses a purpose clause effectively, while “This would give me enough time …” clearly explains the result of the proposed schedule. Most sentences are easy to understand, and the conditional “if you need me” is used appropriately. Some grammatical and punctuation control is less secure in the closing: “I hope you will pay attention to my request and hope to deal with you again” repeats the subject structure awkwardly and leaves the intended meaning unclear. There is also no space after the full stop in “again.Thanks.” Review sentence construction and final punctuation, and use a concise, complete closing sentence.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.