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 John King,

I am writing this letter to minimize the working hours in order to enroll in a part time study group.

To begin with, there is a program called cyber security course which is offered to me as a scholarship at Yale University. I have applied for this scholarship after joining here and it took almost 2 years to approve. For this I requesting to reduce my working hours reduced by 20 hours in a week, so I can study part time.

My classes are beginning from August 1st, this year and the schedule i got from my university is they required me from Monday to Wednesday in class. So I would like to switch my hours from Thursday to Saturday. Please make sure hours should not reach more than 20 hours.

This course will help me increasing the chances of getting a manager role in our organization. Also there is a vacancy in our organization which i might be a good fit for it.

Hoppe you would do the needful for this.

Yours sincerely,

Oman Vhora.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (a scholarship at Yale), specify the desired hours (Thursday to Saturday), and describe the benefit to the employer (potential for a management role). However, the development of these points is somewhat basic. For instance, the explanation of how the study benefits the company is brief. To reach a higher band, you could elaborate more on the specific skills the cyber security course provides and how they would directly improve your current work performance. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a boss, though some phrasing is slightly informal.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Also', and 'For this'. While the progression of ideas is clear, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive. Some transitions between sentences could be smoother; for example, the jump between the scholarship details and the request for hours is a bit abrupt. Paragraphing is used correctly to separate the introduction, the request, and the benefits, which helps the reader follow your argument easily.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'minimize', 'scholarship', 'vacancy', and 'organization'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'do the needful' is an idiom that is often considered outdated or non-standard in international business English. Additionally, 'minimize the working hours' is slightly unnatural; 'reduce my working hours' is more standard. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the flexibility and precision required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are several grammatical errors that persist. For instance, 'I am writing this letter to minimize the working hours' should be 'to request a reduction in my working hours'. There are also issues with verb tense and agreement, such as 'For this I requesting' (should be 'I am requesting') and 'the schedule i got... is they required me' (should be 'requires me'). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Punctuation is generally acceptable, though some sentence structures are slightly awkward.

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

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