Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear boss,

Hope you are doing well.

I am writing this letter to formally request to reduce my hours next schedule onwards as I want to study part time for the Canadian Securities Certificate exam. I have purchased this course online a month ago.

Initially, I tried to manage to study with my current working hours. However, that does not seem to be working. I am noticing that my work is getting affected too as a result of my improper sleep hours.

I would really appreciate if you could make changes to my upcoming schedule and only give me morning shifts for 6 hours. That will give me enough time before bed to study for the exam.

As you know I have been very honest and dedicated with my work all my tenure. I wish to obtain this certificate and get more resourceful to the company and get the position of Financial service representative which our team has been struggling to hire.

I request you to kindly consider my application.

Your sincerely,

Nilesh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (the Canadian Securities Certificate exam), specify the desired hours (morning shifts for 6 hours), and describe the benefit to the employer (becoming more resourceful and potentially filling the Financial Service Representative role). The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a manager. The purpose of the letter is clear from the outset, and the ideas are developed sufficiently to meet the requirements of the task. No parts of the prompt were omitted, and the letter maintains a consistent focus throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph serving a clear purpose. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'However', 'As you know', and 'Therefore' (implied). The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the request to the justification and finally the benefits. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, the explanation, the specific request, and the closing. While the use of cohesive devices is functional, it could be slightly more varied to achieve a higher band, but the overall structure is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases like 'formally request', 'improper sleep hours', and 'resourceful to the company' are used correctly. There are some minor issues with collocation, such as 'next schedule onwards' (which is slightly unnatural) and 'get more resourceful' (which could be phrased more precisely). However, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and professionally. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and slightly more sophisticated academic or professional terminology.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'I have purchased this course online a month ago' (should be 'I purchased' because of the specific time marker 'a month ago') and 'all my tenure' (should be 'throughout my tenure'). Additionally, 'Your sincerely' is a common error; it should be 'Yours sincerely'. Despite these errors, the meaning is never obscured, and the grammar is generally controlled enough to allow for effective communication. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures would help improve this score.

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

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