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 Anuj,

I hope this correspondence finds you in robust health. The purpose of my writing is to update you about my part-time study post-working hours.

I’m preparing for my IELTS exam to advance my English speaking skills and vocabulary. To master it, I have enrolled myself in a course. Due to which I’ll only be able to work at certain times. Also, I need to concentrate more on the course, so if I can reduce my working hours from 40 to 24 per week for two months, it can turn out to be a game changer.

On weekdays, I’m available for Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday; on weekends. According to government regulations for students, you can only work up to 24 hours/week. Additionally, as we operate in a customer service business, my communication skills will help us improve our ratings and customer satisfaction.

Thereby, kindly consider my request for reducing my hours and let me know if you need any further details on my end.

Yours sincerely,

Hardik

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and highlighting the benefits to the employer. The tone is generally appropriate for a professional letter. However, the explanation of the hours is slightly confusing; you mention working Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday, but then refer to government regulations regarding a 24-hour limit, which feels like an unnecessary justification rather than a clear proposal. To improve, ensure your proposed schedule is explicitly clear so your employer can easily understand your availability. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements are met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical structure with a clear opening and closing. Paragraphing is used to separate the purpose of the letter from the specific details of the request. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Additionally' and 'Thereby' to link ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs is a bit abrupt. The sentence 'Due to which I’ll only be able to work...' is a sentence fragment that disrupts the flow. Improving the use of linking words and ensuring that sentences are complete will help the progression of ideas feel more natural and professional.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, using phrases like 'robust health' and 'game changer'. There are some minor issues with collocation and word choice; for example, 'update you about my part-time study post-working hours' is slightly unnatural. 'Post-working hours' is not standard phrasing in this context. Additionally, 'enrolled myself in a course' is acceptable, but 'enrolled in a course' is more idiomatic. You have sufficient vocabulary to convey your meaning clearly, but a more precise selection of professional terminology would elevate the quality of the writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as the sentence fragment 'Due to which I’ll only be able to work at certain times.' This should be connected to the previous sentence. Another error is 'I’m available for Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday; on weekends.' The semicolon usage here is incorrect as the second part is not a complete clause. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading of sentence boundaries and punctuation to reach a higher band.

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

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