Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-05

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 Benjamin,

I hope all is well.

I am writing this letter to request you to reduce my working hours, as I am planning to do some part time study for my further immigration plans.

As we had an in-person discussion regarding this last week in which I tried to explain every bit of my immigration journey and what I want to accomplish in the future.

I precisely remember, I asked you to change my job timing and reduce it by 2 hrs. each day. In returned, you asked why? Then, I answered saying that I am preparing myself for "IELTS" the language test, and I need to acheive certain score to make myself eligible to get my permanent residency done in Canada.

Since our last discussion, I tried to contact you for the same favor couple of time, and I did not get any response yet. Therefore, I thought of writing a formal letter to you to keep it as a record.

One thing I am sure of is that if I will be able to get my PR done by this little favor from you, as a courtesy I would not vacant my position and would continue to work on my position for another 2-3 years atleast.

I hope this letter will bring my concern to your attention, and you will help me to manage my part time study plan.

Thank you and have a pleasant day.

Sicerely,

Shivam Desai

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefit to the employer. However, the third point regarding how your studies benefit the employer is weak. You focus primarily on your own need for permanent residency rather than how your professional development or the skills gained from your studies will add value to the company. To improve, you should explain how the knowledge acquired during your part-time study will make you a more effective employee. The tone is also slightly demanding rather than professional and persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the request to the context and finally the proposed benefit. Paragraphing is present, though the letter could be better structured by separating the request, the justification, and the closing into distinct, well-defined paragraphs. Some cohesive devices are used, such as 'Since our last discussion' and 'Therefore', but the flow between sentences is occasionally mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, but the transition between the personal immigration goal and the professional commitment could be smoother to ensure the reader understands the link between your studies and your future performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'immigration journey', 'accomplish', and 'courtesy'. However, there are some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'In returned' (should be 'In return'), 'vacant my position' (should be 'vacate'), and 'couple of time' (should be 'a couple of times'). These errors do not impede communication, but they highlight a need for more precise control over common English expressions. Expanding your range to include more professional, business-appropriate terminology would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that detract from the professional tone. Examples include 'I am writing this letter to request you to reduce' (should be 'request that you reduce'), 'if I will be able to get my PR done' (incorrect conditional structure), and 'work on my position' (should be 'work in my position'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some issues with comma usage and sentence fragments. To improve, focus on mastering conditional sentences and ensuring subject-verb agreement.

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