Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-20

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 Mr. John,

I am writing this to request you to give me some flexible hours from work so I can study part time .

I know it would be hard to reduce my working hours as we are already short staffed, however I assure you that I will train the new employee before changing the schedule.

As you know, I have already done courses related to Hotel Management and it was easy for me when I first joined the job to treat customers as I was aware of everything and my service was well appreciated. Therefore, we would be benefited by this as I can learn more about the culinary art , food safety and much more .

I therefore request that you make the changes in the schedule so I can give some time to my studies.

Yours,

Mehakpreet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points, but the development is insufficient. While you explain why you want to reduce hours and mention the benefit to the employer, you fail to specify which hours you would like to work, which is a key requirement of the prompt. Furthermore, the response is under the 150-word minimum, which significantly impacts the task achievement score. To improve, ensure you provide concrete details for every bullet point and expand your ideas to meet the length requirement, as the current brevity makes the request feel incomplete and underdeveloped.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and limited. For example, the transition between the second and third paragraphs is abrupt. While the overall progression is clear, the lack of sophisticated linking words or varied referencing makes the flow feel a bit disjointed. To reach a higher band, focus on using a wider variety of cohesive devices to connect your ideas more fluidly and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus that transitions naturally into the next.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but remains quite basic. You use some relevant terms like 'short staffed' and 'culinary art', but the range is limited and lacks the precision expected for a formal business request. Phrases like 'give me some flexible hours' and 'make the changes' are functional but not particularly professional. To improve, try to incorporate more formal, topic-specific vocabulary related to workplace negotiations and professional development. Avoiding repetitive phrasing and using more precise collocations will help demonstrate a wider lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'we would be benefited by this' (passive voice misuse) and 'request you to give me' (slightly awkward phrasing). Punctuation is generally acceptable, though there are minor spacing issues before periods. To improve, focus on refining your use of passive voice and ensuring subject-verb agreement. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures while maintaining accuracy will help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

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

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