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 Boss,

I am writing this letter because I would like to let you know I have decided to advance my career by pursuing a masters program in Public Health in the University of Toronto.

I would like to humbly ask that my working hours be reduced as i plan to study part time.

Reducing my working hours will enable me read and prepare for my exams which will help me trumph all my paper which is beneficial for my career advancement and for the company.

I would like to work for an Average of 8 hours per day which is a reduction from the 12 hours I normally would work for.

I believe this decision making is not only rewarding to me but to the company as a whole.

It will help me understand lapses in the health care system and adequately enable me fill in the gaps with the knowledge i get from my masters program.

Please kindly consider my offer.

Your Employer

Arobadi Oluwaseyi.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to the employer. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, while you mention that your studies will help you 'understand lapses in the health care system', this could be expanded with more specific detail to make the argument more persuasive. Additionally, the closing salutation 'Your Employer' is incorrect; in a formal letter to a boss, you should use 'Yours sincerely' or 'Yours faithfully'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the purpose of the letter to the specific request and finally the benefits. However, the paragraphing is insufficient. The entire body of the letter is presented as one block of text. Using clear paragraph breaks between the introduction, the request, the benefits, and the conclusion would significantly improve the readability and structure. Cohesive devices are used, but they are somewhat repetitive (e.g., 'I would like to...'). Using a wider variety of linking words would help the flow of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your message clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'career advancement' and 'health care system'. However, there are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'trumph all my paper' (which should be 'succeed in my studies' or 'pass my exams') and 'this decision making' (which is slightly unnatural in this context). The vocabulary is generally functional but lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher band scores.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as the inconsistent capitalization of 'i' and 'masters program' (should be 'Master’s program'). There are also punctuation issues, such as missing commas in complex sentences. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent capitalization, and ensure that you proofread for small slips in articles and prepositions.

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

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