Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Mr. Smith,

I am writing this letter to inform you about my shorter working hours due to my study.

Since I have started my diploma in electrical engineering, i wanted to reduce my working hours in order to accommodate to prioritize my studies. There will be only 24 hours legally permitted for the part work.

Therefore, I would prefer to work in the weekend. Especially in the morning time, since I have projects needed to complete before deadline. However, I would be available for Friday evening for 3 hours to help you out.

Since I am into the electrical engineering course, there would be immense opportunity to express my hands-on practical experience to show case. It would be greatly advantageous for your company to apply my expertise in this particular field.

Thank you so much for your time.Let me if you need anything from my side. I will look forward to your response.

Kind Regards,

Jordan Gates

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You explained the reason for the request (studies), specified the desired hours (weekends and Friday evening), and described the benefits to the employer (applying practical engineering expertise). The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter. However, the development of ideas is somewhat thin; for example, the explanation of how your studies benefit the employer could be more specific regarding how your new skills would solve company problems. Overall, the task is fulfilled, but the depth of the content could be improved to reach a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your request. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'However', and 'Since', which assist in linking ideas. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'Since I am into the electrical engineering course'. Additionally, the referencing in the second paragraph ('part work') is slightly unclear. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that pronouns and linking words are used more naturally would enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'diploma', 'electrical engineering', and 'expertise'. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'accommodate to prioritize' (which is redundant) and 'express my hands-on practical experience to show case' (which is slightly unnatural phrasing). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Focusing on more natural collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing will help improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'i wanted' (capitalization), 'part work' (missing noun), and 'Let me if you need' (missing verb 'know'). The sentence 'There will be only 24 hours legally permitted for the part work' is also slightly awkward in its construction. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency. Increasing your control over basic grammar and punctuation will be key to moving up to a higher band.

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

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