Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Miss Kulveer

Hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to you regarding my working hours. As I mentioned you last month, I am looking for Level 2 course for ECE, so I got the acceptance letter yesterday.

However, I am the only person in our day care who used to do openings from last year, due to my further studies its little hard for me to stay until 4 PM. Therefore, I request you to reduce my working hours as it would be difficult for me to manage studies and work on same time. Although my course is online, still I have to do my studies without any distractions, in order to crack my goal as soon as possible. So, I would prefer to work as a part time student, I can do opening shifts but only until midnoon.

Moreover, my studies will bring better opportunity not only for me, also for you as well. Because now we have only two employees with level 2, but after me completion I will also be eligible for level 2, which could be great fit for our preschool kids.

I would appreciate your immediate attention to this request.

your sincerely

Amandeep

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You clearly explain the reason for the request (pursuing a Level 2 ECE course), specify the desired working hours (opening shifts until mid-noon), and explain the benefit to the employer (gaining a qualified Level 2 staff member). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a supervisor. To improve, ensure that the connection between your studies and the employer's benefit is more explicitly detailed, perhaps by mentioning how your new skills will directly improve the quality of care provided at the preschool.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Therefore', and 'Moreover' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally interrupted by slightly awkward phrasing, such as 'As I mentioned you last month'. The paragraphing is sufficient, but the transition between the request for reduced hours and the explanation of benefits could be smoother. Using a wider variety of cohesive devices would help improve the overall flow and logical progression of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'acceptance letter', 'distractions', and 'eligible'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'midnoon' (which is not standard English; 'midday' or 'noon' is preferred) and 'crack my goal' (which is informal; 'achieve my goal' is more appropriate). Additionally, 'as I mentioned you' should be 'as I mentioned to you'. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise professional terminology would enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'I am looking for Level 2 course' (missing article), 'work on same time' (should be 'at the same time'), and 'after me completion' (should be 'after my completion'). There are also punctuation issues, such as missing commas after introductory phrases. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. Focusing on article usage and prepositional phrases will help improve accuracy.

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

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