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 to company. Our mornings particularly 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 aligns 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 explain the reason for the request (accounting studies), specify the desired hours (leaving at 5pm), and articulate the benefits to the employer (technological alignment). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a supervisor. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between your studies and the employer's benefit is even more explicit; for example, you could mention how specific skills will help you improve current workflows. Overall, the response is well-focused and meets the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the request, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'Regarding my work hours' and 'I believe that', to link your thoughts. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat basic. To improve, try to incorporate a wider variety of linking words and phrases to create smoother transitions between sentences and paragraphs. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the overall structure is sound.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using topic-specific terms like 'accounting department', 'fiscal summaries', and 'automated information system'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'Our mornings particularly demanding' (missing the verb 'are') and 'disruption to company' (missing the article 'the'). While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Expanding your use of collocations and more academic phrasing would enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical slips that slightly affect the flow. For instance, 'during period of assessment' should be 'during periods of assessment' or 'the period of assessment'. Additionally, 'Our mornings particularly demanding' is missing a verb. While these errors do not impede communication, they indicate a need for more careful proofreading. To achieve a higher band, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles, as well as increasing the variety of complex sentence structures.

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

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