Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Task 1

Dear Sir,

I am Harneet Kaur, one of the Front End Associates at your store. I am writing to kindly request you to shorten my working hours as I am planning to enrol in a short-term pharmacy assistant course.

It is evident that the healthcare sector is gaining popularity at the present scenario owing to which I want to pursue my studies under this growing sector. With regard to my availability, I would open to work on weekends including Friday and able to work after 3pm on Thursday. Following this schedule, I would able to balance my work with study.

The reason why I am taking this program is not only to step in to a high-demand category but also it would benefit my current job. As, being a pharmacy assistant I would get practical knowledge of medications, health and safety standards along with first-aid training. Consequently, I would use all my skills and knowledge for our store whenever it requires.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Harneet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explained your motivation for reducing hours, specified your desired schedule, and articulated how your studies would benefit the employer. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, providing a clear justification for your request. The structure is logical and follows the standard conventions of a formal letter, ensuring the reader understands your purpose immediately. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between your studies and the employer's benefit is even more explicitly linked to the specific store environment.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You have used some cohesive devices such as 'consequently' and 'not only... but also' to link your ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. The use of paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall progression of ideas is logical. To improve, try to use a wider variety of linking words to connect sentences more fluidly rather than relying on simple conjunctions.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly, such as 'healthcare sector', 'high-demand category', and 'practical knowledge'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'at the present scenario' (should be 'in the current scenario') and 'I would open to work' (missing 'be'). While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more precise control over collocations. You have attempted to use topic-specific vocabulary related to your course, which is a positive step. Focusing on natural phrasing and common collocations will help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'I would open to work' instead of 'I would be open to working' and 'I would able to' instead of 'I would be able to'. Additionally, 'As, being a pharmacy assistant' is a fragmented structure. These errors are frequent enough to prevent a higher score but do not cause confusion. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of modal verbs followed by the infinitive or 'be' + adjective constructions.

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

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