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 director

I am writing to request a reduction in my working hours in order to study part time.

In fact, due to my project of study part time in the university of the town, I think that reducing some working hours will be essential to achieve that goal.

For that purpose, I will be glad if you permit me to work only in the morning in order to attend my classes in the evening, that is as from 1 p m, from Monday to Thursday because on Fridays, we do not have classes.

This part-time study will be beneficial for the company in the sens that it will help me gain more skills in communication which is suitable for our structure for I will be able to master various techniques on how to handle customers. Also, it will help to gain more knowledge on the different advertisements done by the company in order to attract customers.

I am looking forward hearing from you soon.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (part-time study), specify the desired hours (mornings, Monday to Thursday), and describe the benefits to the employer (communication skills and marketing knowledge). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a boss. To improve, ensure that the explanation of benefits is more specific to the company's actual operations rather than general statements, which would help in fully developing the ideas to a higher band level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices like 'For that purpose', 'Also', and 'in the sens that' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally slightly mechanical. To reach a higher band, try to vary your transition words and ensure that the connection between sentences is smoother, particularly when moving from the request to the justification of benefits.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'reduction', 'essential', and 'beneficial'. There are some minor spelling errors ('sens' instead of 'sense') and slightly awkward phrasing, such as 'my project of study part time'. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but it lacks the precision and variety of less common lexical items that would characterize a higher band score. Focusing on more natural collocations would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'I am looking forward hearing' (should be 'to hearing') and 'advertisements done by the company' (which is slightly unnatural). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure in the second paragraph is a bit repetitive. Increasing the variety of complex structures and ensuring consistent control over verb patterns will help improve your score in this area.

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

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