Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-11

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 hope you are doing well. I am writing to request you regarding reduction in my working hours as I am planning to take a part time course. Currently, I am doing 50 hours per week and because of this I would not be able to study for my course and this is the reason I would like to request a less working hours.

From last three months I am on rotating schedule but when I will be starting my studies I will not be available during evening shifts as I will be attending my lab sessions. Therefore to manage both, my studies and work, I will do work for only 25 hours and not be present their more than that.

My course is regarding operating boiler and HVAC that will be providing me with skills necessary for any industry. I am sure that this knowledge will help me work in our company more efficiently and aid me apply for higher position in our company when we are dealing with boiler and HVAC systems.

Thank you for you time and I look forward to your comment on this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Nitin

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 manager. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, while you mention the course is about boilers and HVAC, you could have provided more specific details on how these skills would directly improve your current daily tasks. The request is clear, but the explanation of the schedule change could be more precise to ensure the employer understands the transition clearly.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical structure with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'Currently', and 'However', which help the flow of information. However, the progression between sentences is sometimes a bit mechanical. For instance, the transition between the second and third paragraph could be smoother. The use of paragraphing is appropriate, and the letter is easy to follow, though the range of cohesive devices is somewhat limited, which prevents a higher score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message, such as 'rotating schedule', 'lab sessions', and 'efficiently'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'request you regarding reduction' (should be 'request a reduction') and 'not be present their' (should be 'there'). You also repeat the phrase 'in our company' multiple times in the third paragraph, which limits the variety of your expression. To improve, try to use more precise synonyms and avoid repetitive phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'a less working hours' (should be 'fewer working hours'), 'From last three months' (should be 'For the last three months'), and 'Thank you for you time' (should be 'your time'). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not significantly impede communication. Increasing your control over articles and prepositions will help improve your accuracy.

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

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