Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-07-31

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,

I am writing to request a reduction in working hours as I have been recently selected in part time course of Culinary Innovation Management starting from next month.

I chose this course as it will help me enhance my understanding on food trends, demographics of market and evolve modern techniques to run a business.

It would be great if you can reduce my 40 hours to 30 hours and it would be suitable to you can include me in morning schedule from 8am to 2pm, as I would be having late afternoon and evening classes.

It would be great if you can accept my request as it will also be profitable for the company in future. I would be able to add my theoretical knowledge into practical aspects to attract customers and include menus in this industry which will in turn help

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter covers all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the preferred hours, and the benefits to the employer. However, the response is incomplete, ending abruptly mid-sentence, which leaves the final point under-developed. Additionally, the response falls short of the 150-word minimum requirement. While the tone is appropriate for a formal letter, the lack of a proper conclusion and the failure to meet the length requirement significantly impact the overall task achievement score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into paragraphs, with each addressing a specific part of the prompt. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'I chose this course as' and 'It would be great if', which help the flow of ideas. However, the abrupt ending disrupts the coherence of the final paragraph. Paragraphing is present, but the overall structure feels incomplete due to the unfinished final sentence. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the lack of a closing salutation and the incomplete text hinder the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, with some relevant professional terms such as 'Culinary Innovation Management', 'food trends', and 'theoretical knowledge'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'selected in part time course' (should be 'selected for a part-time course') and 'demographics of market' (should be 'market demographics'). While the range is sufficient to convey the message, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. The vocabulary is functional but does not demonstrate a wide range of less common items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'it would be suitable to you can include me' (which is syntactically incorrect) and 'I would be having' (which is slightly unnatural in this context). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the sentence structure in the third paragraph is clunky. While the errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to suggest a lack of control over more complex grammatical forms.

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