Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-16

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 Sir,

I am writing this letter to express my concern regarding reducing my working hours for the reason that I can properly concentrate on my part time study which needs my great attention as well as time.

The primary reason for the reduction in hours is that I am unable to manage my time for my studies. As I travel by bus so it takes 3 hours for up and down from workplace to home. The result is that I cannot get enough time for my study, relaxation and personal chores.

The current schedule for my job is 3pm-11.30 pm and my online classes takes place by 5.30pm to 8.30pm. I would like to work from 7 am- 1 pm and I want permanent days off on Wednesday and Thursday in order to focus on study.

I am taking HR management related online classes which will help me to grow as HR professional and adapt skills like responsibility, finance, laws , rules, taxes understanding and many more which indirectly will also be useful to our company as well.

I am looking forward to hear a positive reply from you . Thank you for your time and attention.

Yours sincerely

Amritpal Kaur.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explained the reason for your request (time management and commute), specified your desired working hours, and described the benefits to your employer through your HR studies. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. To reach a higher band, ensure your explanation of the benefits is more specific; for example, you could mention how your new knowledge of labor laws could specifically help the company avoid legal issues or improve internal processes, rather than listing general skills.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each requirement, and a formal closing. Each paragraph focuses on a single topic, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices like 'The primary reason' and 'In order to', but the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words between sentences. For instance, the transition between your commute issues and your current schedule is a bit abrupt. Using more sophisticated transitions would enhance the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'concentrate', 'professional', and 'indirectly'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'up and down from workplace to home' is not natural English; 'commuting to and from work' would be more precise. Additionally, 'my online classes takes place' contains a subject-verb agreement error. To improve, try to incorporate more precise business-related terminology to better reflect the professional context of the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'my online classes takes place' (subject-verb agreement), 'I am looking forward to hear' (should be 'to hearing'), and 'for the reason that I can' (a bit wordy). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the writing from reaching a higher band. Focus on proofreading for subject-verb agreement and ensuring the correct verb forms follow specific prepositions.

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.