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 Manager,

I am writing this letter to you about inform that I want to reduce my working hours due to studying part-time.

I want to decline my working hours owning to educational propose. Now, I want to get advance security license. For getting this license, I must have to complete 6 week course in this field. I will join for this course starting of the next month in community college.

Due to part-time study, I only want to work 30 hours per week as I will have go college to attend class 2 days per week. So, I give more preference to work during weekends.

You know that I already have basic security license. But with the help of advance license, I will be able to do shift any busy areas. This also help to me in order to get promotion in employment.

I am looking forward to listen for you as soon possible. I hope that you understand me.

Your sincerely,

Kuldeep Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to the employer. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of how the advanced license benefits the employer is a bit repetitive and lacks professional depth. While the purpose is clear, the tone is occasionally inconsistent with a formal request to a manager. To reach a higher band, you should expand on the professional value of your studies, perhaps by linking the new skills to specific tasks or responsibilities within your current role.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your request. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally inaccurate. For example, the transition 'So, I give more preference' is slightly unnatural in this context. Additionally, some sentences feel disjointed, such as the abrupt shift between discussing the course and the desired working hours. Improving the flow between sentences using a wider variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in addition to') would help create a smoother, more professional progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message, but there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors. For example, 'decline my working hours' is incorrect; 'reduce' or 'adjust' would be more appropriate. Similarly, 'educational propose' should be 'educational purposes', and 'listen for you' should be 'hear from you'. While your meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in word choice and phrasing prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on learning common collocations used in professional correspondence will significantly improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Common issues include missing articles ('the' advance license), incorrect verb forms ('I must have to complete'), and preposition errors ('do shift any busy areas'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles. Proofreading for basic sentence construction errors before finishing would also be beneficial.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.