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,

I am writing this letter to ask a favor to reduce my working hours temporarily as I got enrolled in the university for a part-time course. I would like to decrease my working time to focus on my studies. As, I know it is not possible to work and study at same time due to tremendous increase in tasks like completing assignment on time and studying for weekly tests.

I will prefer working evenings and weekends because my classes are done at 3:00 PM. In the morning I would attain the daily huddle meeting so that I do not miss out anything. Although, I will always be available for work related emergency contact during any hours.

Learning this course it is going to help me with hands on practice which would play a significant role in improving my skills, knowledge and confidence. Moreover, gaining knowledge about risk management and cost cutting will indirectly help our company.

I hope you take this into consideration and I will appreciate to hear back from you as soon as possible.

Thank you.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (enrolling in a part-time course), specify the desired working hours (evenings and weekends), and articulate the benefits to the employer (risk management and cost-cutting skills). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a boss. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between your studies and the employer's benefit is even more explicitly linked to your specific role, as the current explanation is slightly generic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a distinct purpose. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'Although' to link sentences. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical, and there are minor issues with sentence-level cohesion, such as the awkward phrasing in the first paragraph ('As, I know...'). Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the flow and help you reach a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'temporarily', 'tremendous', and 'significant role'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'ask a favor to reduce' (should be 'ask for a reduction in') and 'attain the daily huddle' (should be 'attend'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise usage. Expanding your vocabulary to include more professional collocations would strengthen this section.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'I got enrolled' (passive voice 'I have enrolled' is more formal), 'at same time' (missing article 'the'), and 'Learning this course it is going to' (redundant subject 'it'). Punctuation is generally functional, but there are some issues with comma usage, particularly after introductory phrases. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and reducing redundant pronouns in complex sentences.

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

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