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)

Dear Mrs. Kathy,

I am writing to request you in reduction to my working hours. As I recently joined an advanced English part-time course to improve my communication skills.

As you may already be aware, I am looking for career growth at my workplace, which motivates me improve my interpersonal skills. Currently, in your restaurant I am working as a full-time employee with open availability. However, after joining my course, I would not be available any time with random shifts for the next six months. I would greatly appreciate it if you could accept my new part-time availability for a few months.

Fortunately, I am still available for opening shifts, such as 6 am to 2 pm. I would be grateful if you could consider me a perfect fit for these opening shifts. My course timings are from 3 pm to 7 pm 4 days a week. Having these shifts provide me a sufficient time to reach home and attend my online classes.

If I successfully complete this part-time course, it would be beneficial for both my personal and professional lives. This is mainly because by improving my communication skills, I would be more confident to communicate with guests. Consequently, our productivity will improve with more satisfied customers.

I would appreciate it if you could consider my request at your earliest convenience.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours Sincerely,

Rashim

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the prompt effectively. You clearly explained the reason for the request, specified the desired working hours (6 am to 2 pm), and articulated the benefits to your employer regarding improved communication with guests. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. To reach a higher band, ensure that the opening sentence is grammatically sound, as 'request you in reduction' is slightly unnatural.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a 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 'However', 'Consequently', and 'This is mainly because', which help to link your ideas. The progression of information is smooth. To improve, you could vary your linking words slightly more to avoid repetitive structures, but overall, the flow of the letter is logical and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'interpersonal skills', 'availability', and 'at your earliest convenience'. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'request you in reduction to' instead of 'request a reduction in', and 'not be available any time with random shifts', which is slightly awkward. However, these errors do not impede communication. You successfully use professional language suitable for a workplace request, which shows a good awareness of the required register.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are some grammatical slips, such as 'motivates me improve' (should be 'motivates me to improve') and 'Having these shifts provide me a sufficient time' (should be 'provides me with sufficient time'). Punctuation is generally accurate, and the letter follows a standard formal format. The errors present are non-systematic and do not cause confusion for the reader, but more consistent control over verb patterns and prepositions would help you achieve a higher score.

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

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