Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 Anna,

I am writing this letter to ask your permission regarding reducing my work hours as I want pursue a course which is not only going to benefit me but it will be fruitful for our organization as well.

Since I completed my graduation in business management, I wanted to do further studies in same field and complete my masters in business management. Due to some personal issues, it did not allowed me at that time to do masters. However, I found an university which offers a part-time masters in business for students who willing to do a part-time studies. Fortunately, I got an admission and an offer letter as well, that is why I want to request you to reduce both, my work hours and responsibility meanwhile I am studying this course.

While I will be in college and doing this course as a part-time student, I am assuring you that the rest of my time of the day, I will be available to work for you. I will be available in morning from 7 am to 11 am on all weekdays.

Moreover, as I mentioned earlier, after completing this course, it will help me to contribute to the company more by having a extra knowledge and a skill which I will gain from this course.

Thank you so much in advance for you time and co-operation, and I am looking forward to hear back from you.

Yours sincerely,

Harsh Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (pursuing a Master's degree), specify the desired working hours (7 am to 11 am), and describe the benefits to the employer (gaining new skills and knowledge). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, providing a clear purpose throughout the response. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific detail on how the business management course will specifically help your current role, rather than using general terms like 'extra knowledge'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'However', and 'Since', which help connect your ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as 'that is why I want to request you'. Improving the flow between sentences would enhance the overall coherence of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'fruitful', 'organization', and 'co-operation'. You successfully convey your meaning throughout the letter. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'an university' (should be 'a university') and 'I got an admission' (should be 'I was admitted'). While you attempt to use more formal language, some phrasing is slightly repetitive or unnatural. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise professional collocations would help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that persist throughout the text. For example, 'it did not allowed me' should be 'it did not allow me', and 'students who willing to do' should be 'students who are willing to do'. Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article errors. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct verb forms after auxiliary verbs will improve your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.