Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-24

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)

I am writing a concern about reduction my work schedule to accommodate my enrollment in evening accounting class.

I am requesting a reduction in my hours to ensure that i have ample time for my academic commitments. The university suggested that i dedicate approximately 20 hours in week. And with this figure likely increasing during period of assessment.

Regarding my work hours, I proposed that finishing at 5pm instead of 6pm. would cause the minimal disruption of company. Our morning are particular demanding in the accounting department due to the necessity of preparing the fiscal summaries for the day.

I believe that, undertaking this course will be beneficial for my role. Many of the subjects focus on technological advancement in the field of accountancy which align with the company current integration of automated information system.

I would greatly appreciate your consideration of my request and open to further discussion on this matter.

yours sincerely,

Baljeet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: explaining the reason for the reduction, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to the employer. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, while you mention that your studies will benefit the company, you could have provided a more concrete example of how the new accounting skills would be applied to your current tasks. The letter is clear and fulfills the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the request, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Regarding my work hours' and 'I believe that', which help to link ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the overall progression of ideas is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'accommodate', 'academic commitments', and 'technological advancement'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'reduction my work schedule' (should be 'reduction in my work schedule') and 'company current integration' (should be 'company's current integration'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the vocabulary from reaching a higher band. Using more precise collocations would improve the professional tone 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 'i have' (should be capitalized 'I'), '20 hours in week' (should be 'a week'), and 'our morning are particular demanding' (should be 'mornings are particularly demanding'). Additionally, there are some punctuation issues, such as the unnecessary period after '5pm instead of 6pm'. While these errors are noticeable, they do not cause significant difficulty for the reader. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent capitalization.

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

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