Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-03

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 Mr Smith,

I am writing to request a reduction of the hours i work to enable me to pursue a part-time course in business management and problem solving. I believe this course would help me in my professional skill and be also effective while handling task in the company.

I would love a reduction on my working schedule from five days to four day a week, which can be from Monday to Thursday. From 9:00am to 3:00pm to give me time for other extra lessons.

This knowledge and skill would be beneficial and effective to my current role because it will teach project management, problem solving, communication and leadership. This will help me work more efficiently on task and take on greater role in the future. This will help increase my performance and role at work.

Would be happy if you could consider my request.

Yours Sincerely

Precious

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to the employer. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum, which impacts the overall development of ideas. While the purpose is clear, the explanation of how the studies benefit the employer is somewhat repetitive, focusing on 'problem solving' and 'leadership' without providing specific context. To reach a higher band, you should expand on how these skills would be applied to your specific daily tasks to ensure the content is fully developed and meets the length requirement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of your request. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'This knowledge' and 'This will help' to link ideas. However, the flow is somewhat mechanical, and the transition between the request for hours and the benefits to the employer could be smoother. The use of paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, but the overall structure would benefit from more varied linking words to improve the flow between sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms like 'pursue', 'professional skill', and 'efficiently'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'handling task' (should be 'handling tasks') and 'take on greater role' (should be 'take on a greater role'). The vocabulary is functional but lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations related to business and professional development.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'the hours i work' (capitalization of 'I'), 'four day a week' (should be 'four days a week'), and 'be also effective' (awkward phrasing). Additionally, some sentences are fragmented, such as 'From 9:00am to 3:00pm to give me time...', which lacks a main subject and verb. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to affect the overall clarity and professional tone of the letter.

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

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