Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-21

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 hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to seek you consideration for the reduction of the time spent during my work schedules at office to enable me cope with my part time education.

I am currently doing business education program at the Ebonyi state university, Abakiliki this will enable me with both time to meet up scheduled time for lectures at the campus.

I want to ask to be placed on morning shift which starts by 8.30 am and ends at 2pm to enable me prepare myself early enough for lectures by 5pm.

This will not only be both challenging to the firm as more workload will be giving to other colleagues during off duty hours but also rewarding at last as my academic pursuit for improvement will not only help advance my skills in business administration and also add value to the staff profile of the company.

I hope for your swift action and favorable response.

Yours faithfully

Origbakpor Fidelis

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly state the reason for the request (part-time studies), specify the desired hours (8:30 am to 2 pm), and explain the benefits to the employer. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a boss. However, the development of the third point is slightly confusing; you mention the request will be 'challenging' and that 'more workload will be giving to other colleagues,' which contradicts the goal of persuading your employer. To improve, focus more on how your new skills will directly benefit the company rather than highlighting the potential burden on your team.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical structure, moving from the purpose of the letter to the specific request and the justification. Paragraphing is used, though the body paragraphs are somewhat dense. Cohesive devices are present (e.g., 'This will not only be... but also'), but some transitions feel slightly mechanical or forced. The flow of ideas is generally clear, but the connection between the request and the impact on the firm could be smoother. Ensure that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus to improve the overall progression of your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms like 'academic pursuit,' 'advance my skills,' and 'favorable response.' There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'seek you consideration' (should be 'your') and 'more workload will be giving' (should be 'given'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Expanding your use of professional collocations would help elevate the tone of your formal correspondence.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader, such as 'I am currently doing business education program' (missing an article), 'enable me with both time' (incorrect preposition usage), and 'more workload will be giving' (incorrect passive voice construction). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your request, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading, particularly regarding verb forms, articles, and prepositions. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage 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.