Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-14

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 John

Hope everything is going great at your side. I am writing this letter to request a small favour from you.As you are aware that I am working as a Child Counsellor in your clinic from last three years so now I want to reduce my working hours as I want to enrol in a part time course.

As of now my working hours are from 9:00 A.M to 4:00 P.M so I want you reduce my hours i.e. from 9 am to 1 pm. As it is a part time course so I have joined afternoon batch and timings are from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

I have got myself registered in a couse namely Dealing with Autisim so getting par knowledge about this disorder will not only help me in exploring the other aspects of children but it will also be of great benefit as I will be a certified counsellor in dealing wih Autistic children which will add feather on my cap and beneficial for the clinic too.

hope you will consider this oppotunity and will allow to shift my working hours.

Yours sincerely

Samantha

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task effectively. You explained the reason for the request (enrolling in a course), specified the desired hours (9 am to 1 pm), and clearly articulated how the clinic would benefit from your new certification. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a supervisor. To reach a higher band, ensure that your explanation of the benefits is slightly more professional; for instance, instead of using idioms like 'add feather on my cap', focus on the direct clinical value, such as 'enhancing the quality of care provided to our patients'. Overall, the task is fully addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'As of now' and 'not only... but it will also'. However, the transition between ideas is sometimes a bit mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that paragraph breaks are used more effectively to separate the request from the justification. Some sentences are slightly run-on, which impacts the flow. Improving the use of cohesive devices would help the letter feel more professional and cohesive.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'counsellor', 'enrol', and 'certified'. However, there are several spelling errors ('couse', 'Autisim', 'wih', 'oppotunity') and some awkward phrasing like 'add feather on my cap'. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. To improve, focus on proofreading for common spelling mistakes and aim for more precise, professional collocations rather than informal idioms. Expanding your vocabulary to include more specific professional terminology would also be beneficial.

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 inaccuracies, such as 'I am working... from last three years' (should be 'have been working... for the last three years') and 'I want you reduce' (missing 'to'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with missing commas after introductory phrases. To improve, focus on mastering present perfect continuous tenses and ensuring that your sentence structures are grammatically complete. The errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your request.

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.