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 Sir/Madam,

I am writing to inform you I am interested in learning new skill and due to that I can not able to do full 8 hours shift.

I want to explore new IT skill which may be really help me to enhance my knowledge in IT sector. That is the reason I want to work in a evening shift because I have a class in every morning.

As result, learning IT skill might also do positive effect on my role in our company. Because of that, can you please change my availability at workplace so, I can more focus on my study. Moreover, the changes I want is for just one month.

I hope you will understand my situation and allow me to work in a evening shift. I would say thank you in a advance to you and I am excited to hear the positive response from your side.

Your best employee

Keyur Patel

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 benefit to the employer. However, the development of these points is quite limited. For instance, the explanation of how the IT skills would benefit the company is vague, stating only that it might have a 'positive effect'. To achieve a higher band, you should provide more specific details about how the new skills could be applied to your current tasks. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though the closing 'Your best employee' is slightly unconventional for a professional request.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your request. You use some cohesive devices such as 'As result', 'Moreover', and 'Because of that' to link ideas. However, some of these transitions are used incorrectly or are grammatically awkward (e.g., 'As result' should be 'As a result'). The progression of ideas is clear, but the overall flow is somewhat mechanical due to the limited range of linking words and the repetitive sentence structures. Improving the variety of your cohesive devices would enhance the readability of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. You rely on simple phrases like 'learning new skill' and 'do full 8 hours shift'. There are some errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'do positive effect' instead of 'have a positive effect' and 'in a advance' instead of 'in advance'. To improve, you should aim to use more precise professional terminology related to workplace requests and professional development. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, but it lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher band scores.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally hinder the flow. Examples include 'I can not able to' (should be 'I am not able to'), 'I want to work in a evening shift' (should be 'the evening shift'), and 'the changes I want is' (should be 'the changes I want are'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with comma usage. While the meaning is generally clear, the high frequency of minor errors in basic grammar prevents the writing from reaching a higher band score.

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

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