Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-07

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 Nitin,

I hope you are doing well!

I am writing to let you know I'm planning to study alongside my work from next week to gain some additional knowledge. For this reason, I can only do part-time work and work only 24 hours a week.

This study plays an important part in my life, as it's related to business studies, which can be suitable for me. I have seen one college near the main street. The college is giving me a reasonable fee structure to join the early batch, and I am going to start my classes next week. I apologize for letting you know at the exact time, but this study plan happened suddenly.

Please do not schedule me for Wednesdays and Thursdays. This will be a great chance for me to study more and advance in my current career. I shall be very thankful to you.

Kind regards,

charu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state the reason for the request (to study), specify the desired hours (24 hours a week, excluding Wednesdays and Thursdays), and explain the benefit to the employer (advancing in your career). However, the explanation of how the study benefits the employer is somewhat underdeveloped. While you mention it will help you 'advance in your current career,' it would be more persuasive to explicitly link your business studies to specific skills that could add value to your current role. The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a manager.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different points of the request. You use some cohesive devices such as 'For this reason' and 'This study,' which help the flow of ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. The overall progression of ideas is easy to follow, and the letter maintains a consistent focus throughout, meeting the requirements for a coherent response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases like 'reasonable fee structure' and 'advance in my current career' are used correctly. However, the vocabulary is somewhat basic and repetitive in places, such as the repeated use of 'study' and 'work.' To reach a higher band, you should aim for more precise collocations and a wider variety of synonyms to express your intentions. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors that impede communication, but the lexical range is limited to standard, everyday language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional-like structure 'which can be suitable for me' and the complex sentence 'I apologize for letting you know at the exact time, but this study plan happened suddenly.' While most sentences are clear, there are some minor grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'at the exact time' (which should be 'at such short notice') and 'This study plays an important part' (which is slightly unnatural in this context). Despite these minor errors, your meaning is always clear, and the grammar does not hinder the reader's understanding.

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

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