Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-12

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 am writing to inform you about that I have just started a short course in culinary field to improve my knowledge in food safety and cooking skills due to that I want to deduct my working hours, so that I can focus on my studies.

Furthermore, I want to let you know that I had enrolled in the morning class, so I am only able to complete evening shifts. Apart from this, I also discuss this issue with my co-workers and they all are ready to co-operate with me.

There are a number of advantages of my short course to our department. After completion I would receive food hendler certificate which would be helpful during store inspection. In addition, nowadays our store is also facing shortage of staff, so I can manage whole store by myself. I hope you would understand whole situation and provide me a time to complete my course. I would wait for your prompt response.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours faithfully,

Shubh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three requested points: you explain that you are taking a culinary course, state that morning classes mean you can work evening shifts, and describe benefits such as food-safety knowledge and support during store inspections. The purpose is clear and the ideas are relevant. However, the request to reduce your hours is not made very precisely: “deduct my working hours” does not specify how many hours you want to work or propose a clear schedule. The employer benefit of being able to “manage whole store by myself” is also asserted rather than explained. State the proposed hours explicitly and develop how your training would help the department in practice. The formal letter format is appropriate.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: the opening explains your reason for writing, the next paragraph discusses your availability, and the final main paragraph gives potential benefits before requesting a response. Linking expressions such as “Furthermore,” “Apart from this,” and “In addition” help show relationships between points. At times, however, the connections feel mechanical, and several ideas are crowded into the final paragraph. “Apart from this” does not clearly signal the relationship between your evening availability and your colleagues’ willingness to cooperate. The reference to “whole situation” is also vague. Use more precise links and separate the employer benefits from the closing request to make the progression easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the situation, including “culinary,” “food safety,” “evening shifts,” “co-operate,” and “store inspection.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and you attempt some less common terms connected with your course and workplace. However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “deduct my working hours,” “food hendler certificate,” and “manage whole store by myself.” Spelling errors also affect the professional impression of the letter. Aim for more natural workplace phrasing and check the spelling of technical terms. A more precise vocabulary range would help you explain both your proposed schedule and the practical value of your studies.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including a reason clause in “so that I can focus on my studies” and a conditional structure in “After completion I would receive…”. The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors occur. For example, “inform you about that” has an unnecessary preposition, and “I had enrolled” does not fit the intended time relationship as naturally as a present perfect form. Articles and sentence construction also need attention in phrases such as “manage whole store” and “provide me a time.” Some sentences combine several ideas with commas, making their structure less controlled. Review verb tense, articles, and clause boundaries, while keeping the useful variety of sentence patterns you already attempt.

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

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