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 Sir or Madam,

I am writing to formally express my concern regarding my hours at work, which I prefer to reduce, because I am going to get part time study course in Technology at the university. This has caused me to work just a few hours a week.

To begin with, my course has classes every weekday. Also, the technology course is going to give me opportunities to gain skills; for that, I have to prepare for my next exam. As a result, I wish to work just a few days. Furthermore, I would like to work a weekday from 8 A.M. to 2 P.M.

In addition, my education would help me gain skills in different sectors such as technology, robotics and many others. Also, this would help me to show my skills in the company. This also helps me to improve the company's profit.

I hope you find my letter. I look forward to your response.

Yours faithfully,

Sid Malvi

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 benefits to the employer. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of how the studies will benefit the employer is quite generic ('improve the company's profit'). To achieve a higher band, you should provide more specific examples of how your new skills in technology or robotics would be applied to your current role. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter, though the opening sentence is slightly awkward in its phrasing.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'In addition'. However, some of these transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. The progression of ideas is logical, but the connection between the study course and the specific benefit to the company could be smoother. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and phrases to connect your ideas more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. You rely on basic terms like 'get part time study course' and 'gain skills', which are repeated. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'get part time study course' (should be 'enroll in a part-time course'). While the meaning is always clear, the range of vocabulary is limited to common, everyday words. To improve, try to incorporate more specific professional terminology related to your field and use more precise verbs to describe your intentions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and some complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I am going to get part time study course' (missing articles and incorrect verb choice) and 'I would like to work a weekday' (which is ambiguous; do you mean every weekday or one specific day?). Punctuation is generally correct, but some sentence constructions are slightly unnatural. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to impact the overall fluency of the letter.

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

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