Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-07-28

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. Brown,

I am writing to request a reduction of my working hours as I am planning to study part time course in Fanshawe College from August.

It is a short term (6months) course and in order to get the Achievement Certificate I should earn 20 credits. According to the course coordinator, students should study at lease 15-20 hours per week. Therefore I would like to request to reduce my working hours from 40 hours to 30 hours per week within this period.

I prefer to work from Monday to Friday 8.00 AM TO 2.00PM because my class schedule shows that classes run from 3.30 pm to 8.30 from on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. If I am unable to cover my patient visits I can work Saturday mornings.

It is Healthcare administration course, I think

I would greatly appreciate if you can consider my request. I look forward to your respond at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely,

Nipuni Rajapaksha.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You explain the reason for the request, specify the desired hours, and mention the benefit to the employer. However, the third point regarding the benefit to the employer is significantly under-developed. You mention it is a 'Healthcare administration course' but fail to explicitly state how this knowledge will improve your performance or benefit the company. To achieve a higher band, you should expand on how your new skills will add value to your current role. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a manager.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the request from the scheduling details. You use some cohesive devices like 'Therefore' and 'If', which help the flow of information. However, the transition between the request and the benefit to the employer is abrupt, and the final paragraph is incomplete, which disrupts the overall progression. Improving the use of linking phrases to connect your ideas more smoothly would enhance the coherence of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'reduction', 'coordinator', and 'convenience'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'study part time course' (should be 'a part-time course') and 'look forward to your respond' (should be 'response'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. Incorporating more professional collocations related to workplace requests would improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including missing articles ('It is Healthcare administration course'), incorrect prepositions ('at lease' instead of 'at least'), and verb form errors ('I should earn' instead of 'I need to earn'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles will help you achieve greater accuracy in your writing.

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