Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear sir,

I am writing this letter in order to request you to decrease my working hours because of the course i have taken recently.

Actually, I currently pursue MS Excel course at Seneca college and i am not able to assign enough time to my studies due to full-time work. Moreover, there is a condition for the completion of the course, finishing required number of hours to get the final certification.

I request you to change my schedule from full-time to part-time. As i have classes on weekdays, that's why i want you to change my schedule to part-time, and schedule my shifts on weekend only.

As i am pursuing Excel course, it will acquire MS office skills so that i can contribute more in my work as a data analyst.

I will really appreciate it if you can make changes in my schedule as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Kirandeep kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to the employer. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a boss. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the explanation of how the Excel course benefits the employer is brief and could be expanded to show a clearer link between the skills learned and your specific tasks as a data analyst. Overall, the response is clear and fulfills the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the request to the justification and finally the benefits. Paragraphing is used, though the structure is quite simple. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'As', but the flow between sentences can feel a bit mechanical at times. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus. The referencing is generally clear, and the reader can easily follow your argument throughout the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, such as 'certification', 'pursue', and 'contribute'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'it will acquire MS office skills', where 'acquire' is used incorrectly in this context. Additionally, the phrasing 'assign enough time' is slightly unnatural. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, you need to use more precise collocations and a wider range of less common lexical items to reach a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are several grammatical errors throughout the text. For instance, there are issues with article usage ('the course i have taken', 'the MS Excel course'), capitalization ('i' should be 'I'), and punctuation. Some sentences are slightly awkward, such as 'that's why i want you to change my schedule'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on consistent capitalization and correct article usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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