Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-18

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 Boss,

I am writing this letter to request you that I would like to reduce my working hours in order to give more time on my study since I am preparing for my physiotherapy licence examination.

As you know that I want to clear my licence examination as soon as possible in order to do well in my field as an independent physiotherapist. For that i need to give more attention to clear exam on time; therefor, i need to practice more and for that i want to request you to reduce my working hours.

I would like to work on every weekend. so it will be like two days per week instead of 4 days per week as I used to do it before.

As i am planning to join classes for my part time studies, which will help me expand my knowledge.

I am hoping for positive response from you as sson as possible.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt, though the development of the third point—how the studies benefit the employer—is quite weak. You mention that the studies will 'expand my knowledge,' but you do not explicitly link this to how it will improve your performance or value to the company. To improve, ensure each bullet point is fully extended with specific details. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though the opening 'Dear Boss' is slightly informal; 'Dear [Name]' or 'Dear Manager' would be more professional.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your request. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'for that' is used twice in the same paragraph). Some transitions are missing or awkward, such as the abrupt start to the fourth paragraph. Improving the variety of linking words (e.g., 'consequently,' 'furthermore,' 'in addition') would help the flow of your ideas and move your score higher.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'do well' and 'give more attention.' There are also some minor errors in word choice, such as 'request you that I would like to,' which is grammatically redundant. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more specific professional terminology related to your field and avoid repetitive sentence structures. Spelling is generally accurate, though 'sson' is a noticeable slip.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but the accuracy is inconsistent. You have several grammatical errors, such as 'I am writing this letter to request you that I would like to' (incorrect verb pattern) and 'As you know that I want to' (unnecessary 'that'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several instances of lowercase 'i' and missing commas after introductory phrases. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to limit the score.

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

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