Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter to request to reduce my working hours and allow me to work part- time for further studies. I am going back to school this fall for the last semester of master’s degree in University of Ottawa. It will be a Co-op education where I will need to study alongside clients projects. Due to the burden I will have, working full time will be a challenge.

As my course schedule will be busy during weekdays, I won’t be able to work from Monday until Friday. Although, I always have weekends for myself, I will work through that for last year of studies. I would prefer to work evenings as in the morning I will be studying for my presentations on every Monday.

Working at your clinic will give me an opportunity to uplift communication skills alongside time management and organizing skills as well. It will not only benefit to stand out in hirings in future but also will lend me in an appropriate job. Additionally, the part-time position will also align with my schedule and provide me with the flexibility to earn for survival.

I will appreciate your prompt response and action on my request.

Yours Sincerely,

Dimpal.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task effectively. You clearly explained the reason for the request (master's degree studies), specified the desired working hours (evenings), and described the benefits to the employer (improved communication and organizational skills). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a supervisor. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, providing a clear justification for your request. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between your studies and the employer's benefit is even more specific to the clinic's operations, rather than focusing primarily on your own personal development.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Additionally' and 'Although' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition between your study schedule and your preference for evening work could be more tightly integrated. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. You use some topic-specific terms like 'Co-op education' and 'part-time position'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'lend me in an appropriate job' (should be 'lead me to') and 'benefit to stand out' (should be 'benefit by helping me stand out'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the use of vocabulary from appearing fully natural or sophisticated. Expanding your range of collocations would help improve your score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'request to reduce' (should be 'request a reduction in'), 'master’s degree in University' (should be 'at the University'), and 'clients projects' (should be 'client projects'). Additionally, the sentence 'Although, I always have weekends for myself, I will work through that for last year of studies' is slightly awkward in its construction. While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. Focusing on article usage and prepositional phrases will help improve your accuracy.

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

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