Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear sir,

I am writing this letter regarding to reduce my working hours because of part-time study.

I have been planning to enroll in bakery classes from long time and finally get a chance to take part in bakery classes. This is the reason I requested to reduce my working hours because with full time work I cannot concentrate on my study.

My schedule for classes came yesterday and it's fixed so I can work for fixed schedule. My classes will be on from Monday to Thursday in morning and I am available to work on Friday,saturday and Sunday any time but if I will get morning shifts that will be great.

I took this course not only to increase my knowledge but also to enhance my working skills as u know I am working in bakery. These classes will be definitely beneficial to your business because after getting alot of knowledge about bakery it will make fast and efficient at work.

Thank you and I am looking to forward to your response.

Yours faithfully,

Cheryl

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (bakery classes), specify the desired working hours (Friday to Sunday), and explain how the employer will benefit (increased skills and efficiency). However, the development of these points is somewhat basic. For instance, the explanation of how the business benefits could be more detailed to be more persuasive. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a boss, although the opening 'Dear sir' is a bit generic and could be improved by using a name if known.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your request. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'This is the reason' and 'not only to... but also to'. However, the flow between sentences is occasionally a bit mechanical. The paragraphing is somewhat inconsistent, with some very short sentences that could be better linked to create a smoother narrative. Additionally, the use of referencing could be more precise to improve the overall flow of the argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message, such as 'enroll', 'efficient', and 'beneficial'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'regarding to reduce' (should be 'regarding reducing') and 'get a chance to take part in bakery classes' (which is slightly repetitive). You also use 'u' instead of 'you', which is informal and inappropriate for a formal letter. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise professional vocabulary related to workplace requests.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'from long time' (should be 'for a long time'), 'it's fixed so I can work for fixed schedule' (missing articles), and 'Friday,saturday' (capitalization and punctuation errors). While these errors do not prevent the meaning from being understood, they demonstrate a lack of control over basic grammar and punctuation, which limits your score in this criterion.

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

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