Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-17

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 Smith,

I would like to let you know that i enrolled myself in business management course in order to gain more knowledge in this field. I am very excited to start this course. However, working longer hours at shift i believe that it would be hard for me to concentrate on my studies.

In order to pay attention and complete this course on time, I would like you to decrease my working hours by giving me 3 days off in a week that are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday because i will be having my classes on these days.

After acquiring knowledge from this course, i would be able to contribute more to our team in management purpose by collaborating with Human resources department as well as with accounting departments in which currently i am not having enough education to be a part of them.

I would really appreciate if you could reduce my number of hours and help me to manage my job and part time studies.

Your Faithfully

Mehak

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 (enrolling in a business management course), specify the desired schedule (Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday off), and explain the benefits to the employer (contributing to HR and accounting). The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a boss. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between your studies and the specific benefits to the employer is developed with slightly more professional detail, as the current explanation is a bit general.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the task. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'However', 'In order to', and 'After acquiring knowledge' to link your ideas. While the structure is sound, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the transition between your current situation and your future goals is smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'enrolled', 'collaborating', and 'management purpose'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'working longer hours at shift' (should be 'on my shifts') and 'in management purpose' (should be 'in a management capacity'). To improve, focus on using more precise professional collocations and ensure that you use the correct prepositions when describing your work environment.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as the failure to capitalize the personal pronoun 'i' throughout the letter, and issues with article usage (e.g., 'in business management course' should be 'in a business management course'). Additionally, there are minor errors in verb tense and preposition usage. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on proofreading for basic capitalization and article consistency will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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