Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-06

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 would like to express my concern about working hours. As I just applied for study permit to do study of pharmacy in alexander college. Unfortunately, From now I will not be able to work full time.

In addition to it, As students can work solely 24 hours so I need to reduce working hours to 24 hours. I need to attend school on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday so can work only weekends.

Furthermore, having degree of pharmacy would be also beneficial for our company. I would like to use my knowledge in growth of our company which can boost our sales and I can work as a pharmacist for this business. And in future I can work full time pharmacist as much hours as I want. I would love if you will allow me flexible hours to give time for my studies.

Yours Faithfully

Naina Malhotra

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the specific hours required, and the benefits to the employer. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of how pharmacy studies benefit the company is a bit repetitive and lacks professional depth. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though the opening 'Dear sir' is generic and the closing 'Yours Faithfully' is correct for a formal letter where the recipient's name is unknown. To improve, ensure that the connection between your studies and the company's specific needs is more clearly articulated and professional.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'In addition to it', 'Furthermore', and 'Unfortunately', though some of these feel slightly mechanical or are used with minor grammatical awkwardness. The transition between the request for hours and the benefits to the employer is clear. However, the paragraphing could be more refined to separate the request from the justification more effectively. Overall, the message is easy to follow, but the flow could be improved with more varied and natural linking phrases.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks sophistication. You use basic terms like 'do study of pharmacy' and 'growth of our company'. While these communicate your meaning clearly, they do not demonstrate the range required for higher bands. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'solely 24 hours' (which is not the correct usage of 'solely' in this context) and 'having degree of pharmacy'. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise professional terminology and collocations related to employment and academic study.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'As I just applied for study permit' (missing articles), 'From now I will not be able' (awkward phrasing), and 'I would love if you will allow me' (incorrect conditional structure). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are issues with sentence boundaries and capitalization. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the core message, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency and accuracy of the writing.

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

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