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 to express my interest in reducing my work schedule to accommodate my enrollment in an 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 a week. This figure will likely increase during period of assessment.

Regarding my work hours, I propose that finishing at 5pm instead of 6pm would cause 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's current integration of automated information system.

I would greatly appreciate your consideration of my request and I am 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 of the prompt effectively. You clearly explained the reason for the request (accounting studies), specified the desired hours (finishing at 5pm), and articulated the benefits to the employer (technological alignment). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific detail regarding how the 20-hour study commitment will be balanced with your current workload, as the current explanation is slightly general. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each requirement, and a professional closing. Each paragraph focuses on a single main idea, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use some cohesive devices like 'Regarding my work hours' and 'I believe that', which help transition between points. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect sentences more fluidly. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the progression of ideas is logical throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary relevant to a professional context, such as 'accommodate', 'academic commitments', 'fiscal summaries', and 'technological advancement'. There are a few minor errors in word form or collocation, such as 'disruption of company' (should be 'disruption to the company') and 'Our morning are particular demanding' (should be 'mornings are particularly demanding'). Despite these small slips, your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning with precision and fits the formal tone required for this task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. There are some grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('Our morning are') and missing adverbs ('particular' instead of 'particularly'). Additionally, 'automated information system' should be plural ('systems'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede communication or cause confusion for the reader. To improve, focus on proofreading for small errors in pluralization and adverb usage, as these are frequent in your writing.

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

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