Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 boss,

I would like to write about that I want to study as a part-time to mitigate some working hours from my work schedule.

I want to reduce working hours because I am pursuing a welding technician program as a part-time student at Sheridan College. In addition, I really want to focus on my studies to get a better grade in the exam.

I want to work in the evening because I have a college schedule in the morning in order to maintain both my professional and study hours. Furthermore, in the evening, especially I want to work from 6.00 p..m. to 11.00 p.m.

If I study part-time, the manager would have a chance to hire new employees because I work fewer hours than before. As a result, the employer may interact with new employees and find new skills from them.

I would request that the employer should decrease working hours to study a part- time.

Yours sincerely,

Mohammadfardin Vhora

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points in the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to the employer. However, the development of the third point is slightly illogical; suggesting that the employer should hire new employees because you are working fewer hours is not a strong benefit to the employer. A more persuasive approach would be to explain how your new welding skills will add value to the company's operations. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though the opening 'Dear boss' is slightly informal.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of ideas. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Furthermore', and 'As a result' are used to link sentences. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between the request for reduced hours and the justification for the employer's benefit could be smoother. Overall, the structure is logical and supports the purpose of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey the necessary information clearly. There are some awkward phrasings, such as 'mitigate some working hours' and 'find new skills from them', which are not natural collocations. While the range is sufficient to complete the task, there is limited use of less common or precise vocabulary. Spelling is generally accurate, but the word choice often lacks the precision expected at higher band levels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I would like to write about that I want to study as a part-time' (incorrect structure) and 'study a part- time' (missing noun). Punctuation errors, such as '6.00 p..m.', also occur. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. The writer demonstrates an attempt at complex structures, but control over these is inconsistent.

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

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