Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Sreela,

I am writing this to request you to reduce my working hours. I would like to reduce my working hours into 20 hours per week inorder to enroll into a course of Shockwave therapy. It is a 3 months full time program, the classes are from 9.00 Am to 1. 00 pm Monday to Friday.

Therefore, I would like to do the evening shifts Tuesday to Friday from 2.00 pm to 7.00 pm. I would like to inform you that I won't be able to work on Monday as well as Saturday until I complete this program.

This is the program which I was looking for a long time. I know we have focused and radial shock wave in our clinic but nobody knows how to use that and it's benefits. This course helps me to learn about the indication,contraindications, effect and uses . Moreover, it also gave an idea to how to use the machine on patients. In addition, it will helps to differentiate the difference between radial and focused Shockwave. I believe, this course is beneficial for me as well as our clinic to improve the treatment quality to the patients

I am looking for your prompt response

Sincerely,

Neethu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points of the prompt effectively. You clearly explained the reason for the request (Shockwave therapy course), specified the desired working hours (Tuesday to Friday, 2.00 pm to 7.00 pm), and articulated the benefits to the employer (improving treatment quality and clinical knowledge). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between the course and the clinic's needs is even more explicitly linked to the employer's perspective, rather than just your own personal development.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'Moreover', and 'In addition' to link your ideas. However, the paragraphing is slightly disjointed; the second and third paragraphs could be better integrated to improve the flow of the argument. Additionally, some transitions feel a bit mechanical. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between sentences would enhance the overall coherence of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using specific terms like 'Shockwave therapy', 'indications', and 'contraindications'. However, there are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'reduce my working hours into 20 hours' (should be 'to') and 'it also gave an idea to how to use' (should be 'gave me an idea of how to use'). While these do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching a higher band. Using more precise collocations would improve the quality of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'it will helps' (should be 'it will help') and 'differentiate the difference' (which is redundant). Punctuation is generally clear, though there are minor inconsistencies in spacing (e.g., '1. 00 pm'). While the meaning is always clear, the frequency of these small errors suggests that you need to focus on subject-verb agreement and avoiding redundant phrasing to achieve a higher score.

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.