Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear X,

The purpose of writting the letter is to request for reducing my working hours to a limit number of hours. Since, I have taken up part-time course related to my profession.

My preference for working hours would be from 9 AM to 3 PM. Every weekend to comply the hours missed , I could work on weekends to ensure everything is working smoothly and without any disturbance. This eventually balances both my work and studies. Since my study is related to my profession, it would be very helpful for your business and to understand the clients. This can help me focusing on every detail that can help me pull more clients and also ensure more perfection to existing clients.

The course is 6 months long, which is a short time period and will return back to my actual working hours after the completion of the course. I will appreciate for making this happen.

Thank you,

Sahil Patel

Senior Assistant

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to your employer. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a supervisor. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, while you mention that your studies will help the business, you could have provided more specific examples of how the skills gained would translate into better client service. The letter covers the requirements, but the explanation of the benefits remains a bit vague, which prevents it from reaching a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, each serving a clear purpose. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Since' and 'This eventually', to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'The purpose of writting the letter is to request for reducing my working hours to a limit number of hours.' The connection between sentences is sometimes mechanical, and the transition between your request and the explanation of benefits could be smoother. Overall, the message is easy to follow, but the use of cohesive devices is not always natural or flexible.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your request clearly. You use some professional terms like 'profession', 'business', and 'clients'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and minor errors, such as 'writting' (spelling), 'request for reducing' (should be 'request to reduce'), and 'limit number of hours' (should be 'limited number'). You rely on fairly simple vocabulary throughout. To improve, you should focus on more precise collocations and ensure that your spelling is accurate, as these small errors slightly detract from the professional tone of the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors that affect the accuracy of your writing. Examples include 'Since, I have taken up part-time course' (missing article 'a'), 'to comply the hours missed' (incorrect verb usage; should be 'to compensate for'), and 'I will appreciate for making this happen' (incorrect preposition usage). These errors are noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your request. To reach a higher band, you need to improve your control over sentence construction and reduce these recurring grammatical slips.

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.