Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-15

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,

As you know I am an international student so I can not do more than a specific hours as my part time job. Because it will interrupt my study time and i need to focus more on my studies.

you can give me hours of total 24. However this will save me much more time for studies. and you know professor give me more assignment and we need to prepare for our exam for that more hours on job will eventually make disturbance on my studies.

I really appreciate your help and the hours that you give me before because of that i get to learn more and gain much more experience. Being a Part time employer I think the rest of the hours you can give those who desparately need that. In order to survive in this economy, I think that the employer should do more hard work so that they can pay their own bills and rent.

I really appreciate your understanding and help,

Best regards,

Priya

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points, though the development is somewhat uneven. You explain the need for reduced hours and specify the 24-hour request. However, the third point regarding how your studies benefit the employer is weak; you focus more on your own financial needs and the needs of other employees rather than explaining how your academic progress adds value to the company. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, but the content in the third paragraph is slightly off-topic as it discusses other employees' financial situations rather than the professional benefits to your boss.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the logical flow between sentences is sometimes disjointed. For example, the transition between discussing your studies and the suggestion for other employees is abrupt. Cohesive devices are used, but they are often basic or slightly misused, such as the repetitive use of 'and' and 'however' at the start of sentences. The paragraphing is functional, but the progression of ideas could be smoother to ensure a more professional tone.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on simple phrasing such as 'do more' and 'give me hours'. There are some errors in word choice, such as 'Part time employer' (you are an employee) and 'disturbance on my studies' (a more natural collocation would be 'interfere with my studies'). Spelling is generally accurate, but the range of vocabulary is limited, preventing a higher score. To improve, try to incorporate more professional terminology related to work-life balance and academic development.

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 impede clarity. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'professor give me'), article usage (e.g., 'a specific hours'), and sentence fragments. Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with capitalization of 'i' and the start of sentences. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors indicates a lack of control over more complex grammatical structures, keeping the score in the mid-range.

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