Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-11

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 Sir,

I would really appreciate it if you could reduce my working hours , as I have recently enrolled in a part-time programme. I would like to learn more about computers, particularly artifical intelligence.

I have recieved my class schedule, and I am only available to work from Thursday to Sunday, as I have classes on the remaining days. I would be available for regular shifts on these four days.

i believe my studies would also benefit the company because I could apply knowledge and skills gained from this course to my daily responsibilities. In particular, learning abiut artifical intelligence could help me understand modern technologies, improve efficiency and contribute innovative ideas to the workpla

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion7.0
Lexical Resource6.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You address the main points by giving a reason for the request, proposing work from Thursday to Sunday, and explaining that your studies could help you apply new skills at work. However, the response is under the required 150 words, and the ideas are consequently quite limited and under-developed. The request is also phrased as “if you could reduce my working hours,” which may suggest the employer is reducing them rather than you requesting a change to your own schedule. Explain more clearly why you want to study, specify the hours or shift times you are proposing, and develop concrete examples of how AI knowledge could benefit your role and the company.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression: it introduces the request, gives your availability, and then explains a possible benefit to the company. The paragraphing supports this sequence, and links such as “as” and “because” make the relationships between ideas easy to follow. To make the organisation more complete, add a suitable closing and develop the short sections so the reader can follow the request and its practical implications without needing to infer details. For example, “these four days” refers clearly to Thursday through Sunday, but the actual shift times are not stated. A more explicit transition into the employer-benefit point would also help the letter feel fully shaped.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the purpose and includes relevant terms such as “part-time programme,” “class schedule,” “responsibilities,” and “improve efficiency.” These choices communicate the topic clearly, and “innovative ideas” shows an attempt to use more specific language. However, there are spelling errors in “artifical,” “recieved,” and “abiut,” and “regular shifts” is not precise enough to describe the hours you are requesting. The phrase “learn more about computers” is also broad for a letter explaining a specific course. Use accurate spelling and more precise expressions for your study subject, proposed schedule, and workplace applications to show greater control and flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including the conditional request “I would really appreciate it if…” and the reason clause “as I have classes on the remaining days.” Most of the message remains understandable, and the sentence about applying course knowledge is a useful attempt at a more developed structure. Some errors in punctuation and sentence control remain: there is an unnecessary space before the comma in “hours ,” and the final sentence is cut off at “workpla,” leaving the letter incomplete. The lowercase “i” at the start of a sentence also needs correction. Proofread sentence boundaries and punctuation, and complete each sentence to demonstrate more consistent accuracy.

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

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