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 Manager,

I am writing you to request in reduction in working hours that would help me in my part time study.

To begin with, recently I am working full time which is helping in earning huge money and job satisfaction, however now I have joined part time study course at MITT, so I have to reduce my work per week so that I can focus on my daily classes and assignments. Moreover, I can work 24 hours per week and morning 10 am to 1 pm is good time for me so that I can join my class in evening.

In addition to it, I take this course because it also increase my practical experience as we have any issue in network at our work, I would happy to work for that and we do not need to charge any technician. I would be thankful for considering my request and look forward to your response.

Yours Faithfully,

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the preferred hours, and the benefits to the employer. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the explanation of how the studies benefit the employer is slightly unclear and lacks professional detail. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though it could be more polished. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific details about the course and how the skills gained will directly contribute to your current role, rather than just mentioning network issues.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized into paragraphs, and the progression of ideas is clear. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'In addition to it'. However, some of these transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the relationship between ideas is more explicitly stated. The paragraphing is functional, but the structure could be more sophisticated to improve the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks range and precision. You rely on basic phrasing such as 'earning huge money' and 'good time for me'. There are also some awkward collocations and word choices, such as 'request in reduction' (should be 'request a reduction') and 'we have any issue' (should be 'if we have any issues'). While the meaning is clear, the lack of more sophisticated or precise vocabulary limits the score. Expanding your range to include more professional and academic terminology would significantly improve your performance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'I am writing you to request in reduction' (missing article and incorrect preposition), 'recently I am working' (incorrect tense), and 'it also increase' (subject-verb agreement error). While these errors do not prevent the message from being understood, they are frequent enough to impact the overall fluency. Focusing on subject-verb agreement, correct tense usage, and article placement will help you achieve a higher score.

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

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