Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-22

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 Smith,

I am writing this letter to request you to decrease my working hours because i am planning to do study.

The reason for reducing working hours is that I gave entrance exam to learn Artificial Intelligence and I got selected for part time studies in Algoma University. They offer me scholarship on the basis of my merit. Moreover, this job is also very essential for me because I learnt all the skills from your company such as technical knowledge, customer handling and leadership.

I would like to work from 12PM to 5PM because, schedule of my classes would be 8am to 11am on Monday to Friday. I do not want to leave this job because, duration of this course is only six months.

As, my course is related with Artificial Intelligence and it could be more beneficial for your company because I will get theoretical as well as practical Knowledge of using advanced tools of computer information.

I am looking forward to hear from you.

Yours sincerely,

Pawan Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and highlighting the benefits to the employer. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, while you mention the benefits of your studies in Artificial Intelligence, you could have elaborated more on how specific skills gained from the course would translate into increased productivity or innovation for your employer. The letter is clear and the purpose is immediately understood, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical structure, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the request. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'As', which help the flow of information. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs is slightly abrupt, and the use of punctuation is occasionally inconsistent, which affects the overall flow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different requirements of the task. To reach a higher band, you should aim for a wider range of linking words and ensure that the relationship between ideas is more explicitly stated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your message clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'Artificial Intelligence', 'merit', and 'theoretical'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'I gave entrance exam' (should be 'I took an entrance exam') and 'They offer me scholarship' (should be 'They offered me a scholarship'). The range is sufficient to communicate your needs, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Focusing on correct verb-noun collocations will help improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. For example, there are issues with article usage ('the' is missing before 'schedule'), subject-verb agreement, and capitalization (the pronoun 'i' is not capitalized). Additionally, there are some awkward phrasings, such as 'I am writing this letter to request you to decrease'. While these errors do not impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. Increasing your control over basic grammatical rules and sentence construction will significantly improve your performance.

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

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