Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-13

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. Long,

I am writing this letter to request for allocating me less number of hours till I finish my part time studies from Georgian college.

I have enrolled in Cybersecurity Specialist post-graduate diploma course at Georgian college, which starts from 1st September, 2026 and will end by 30th March, 2027. To cope with academic task and complete course with bright colors I have to invest more time, and to do so I am planning to work for less hours.

To make win-win situation for both of us, I have selected very specific timetable with the help of course instructor as he is very co-operative. My all lectures are scheduled on Thursday and Friday, these days our company generally have less work and need less workforce. I can work from Monday to Wednesday with my regular schedule, and request for off on next two days.

As I complete this course, I will have enough knowledge to work with IT Security department as our company always look for right candidate with required knowledge and certification.

I am looking forward for your response.

Your's Sincerely,

Ashish Bhanushali

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained the reason for your request (enrolling in a Cybersecurity course), specified the desired working hours (Monday to Wednesday), and articulated the benefit to your employer (gaining skills to contribute to the IT Security department). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. To reach a higher band, ensure that your explanation of the benefits is more detailed; for instance, you could mention specific projects or security tasks you would be better equipped to handle upon completion of your studies.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'To make a win-win situation' and 'As I complete this course', which help the flow. However, the transition between sentences could be smoother. Some of the phrasing, such as 'My all lectures', is slightly awkward and impacts the natural flow of ideas. Improving the variety of linking words would help elevate the coherence of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'post-graduate diploma', 'co-operative', and 'workforce'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'request for allocating me' is grammatically awkward; 'request to be allocated' or 'request a reduction in my hours' would be more natural. The phrase 'complete course with bright colors' is an incorrect idiom; 'complete the course successfully' or 'with distinction' would be more appropriate. Expanding your range of professional collocations will improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors. For instance, 'request for allocating me less number of hours' contains errors in preposition and article usage. You also have issues with subject-verb agreement, such as 'our company always look' (should be 'looks'). Additionally, 'Your's Sincerely' is incorrect; it should be 'Yours sincerely'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on proofreading for basic subject-verb agreement and prepositional phrases.

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

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