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 Sir or Madam,

I hope you are doing well.

I am writing to request you for reducing my working hours. Recently, I enrolled myself in an online course for dry needling. I may need 2 month to complete the course effectively and my study schedule includes mostly morning lectures. Therefore, I need to reduce my morning working hours.

My preferences are afternoon and evenings in the weekdays. Moreover, I am available on weekends so I can work in end of the week too if you allow me to evaluate patients.

This course not only help me in my professional career, but it also bring many advantages to the clinic. Needling course help patients to reduce their tightness, pain, and restricted range of motion. Therefore, patient may feel their recovery more advanced than usual and clinic may gain positive feedback , satisfaction, and financial increment.

Thank you so much for your understanding. I will appreciate your help.

Yours faithfully,

Riya

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and outlining the benefits to the employer. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter. However, the development of ideas is somewhat brief. For instance, while you mention the benefits of the dry needling course, expanding slightly on how this specific skill integrates into the clinic's current services would have provided a more persuasive argument. Overall, the response is clear and fulfills the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter follows a logical structure with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the request, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'Therefore' to link ideas. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the transition between sentences is smoother. At times, the connection between sentences feels slightly mechanical, but the overall progression of the letter is logical and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'enrolled', 'professional career', and 'restricted range of motion'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'financial increment' (which is slightly unnatural; 'increased revenue' or 'financial gain' would be better) and 'evaluate patients' (which might be better phrased as 'treat patients'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, incorporating more precise collocations would elevate the response to a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'request you for reducing' (should be 'request a reduction in'), '2 month' (should be 'two months'), and 'This course not only help me' (should be 'helps'). Additionally, there are minor issues with article usage, such as 'in end of the week'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions.

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

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