Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-23

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,

I hope you are doing well.

I am writing this letter to inform you that i would like to do less work because i decided to study part time so i am requesting you to please schedule me part time for the work.

I am decreasing my hours at my workplace because i am enrolling for the IT Course so i am deciding to work less, so that i can focus on my studies as well.

I would like to work on weekends starting from friday night till sunday night because rest of the weekdays ,i want to attend my classes because they are mandatory to attend .

Moreover ,i want to say that my course will also have benefits for my current job as i will get more knowledge about this field and will be helpful at my workplace to handle any kind of situation.

Yours Faithfully

Mehak Bhardwaj

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to the employer. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. However, the development of ideas is somewhat repetitive; for instance, you mention the desire to study and the need to reduce hours multiple times in the first two paragraphs. To improve, ensure each paragraph introduces a distinct point rather than restating the premise. The letter is clear and the purpose is well-communicated, meeting the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the request to the specific details and finally the benefits. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'as', which help link ideas. However, the paragraphing is quite limited, with the entire body of the letter feeling like a single block of text. To reach a higher band, you should use clear paragraph breaks to separate the introduction, the specific request details, the benefits, and the closing. Additionally, some sentences are run-on, which makes the flow feel slightly mechanical rather than natural.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your message clearly. You use some relevant terms such as 'enrolling', 'mandatory', and 'current job'. However, the range is somewhat limited and repetitive, particularly the use of 'work' and 'study'. There are also minor issues with word choice, such as 'do less work' which is a bit informal. To improve, try to incorporate more precise professional terminology related to employment and education to demonstrate a wider range of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent errors in punctuation and mechanics, such as the failure to capitalize the pronoun 'I' and the lack of spaces after commas (e.g., 'Moreover ,i'). Additionally, there are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'i decided to study' instead of 'I have decided to study'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on basic sentence construction, capitalization, and punctuation will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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