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)

Dear Abdul Majid,

I am writing this letter to request you to cut-down my working hours as I have enrolled in part-time school in order to enhance my career.

I started learning about Canadian taxation as you had advised earlier. Unfortunately I have to attend classes Monday to Friday at evening after 4:00PM.

I would like to work part-time from Morning 9:00AM to 2:00PM, in which I will do my best to archive my tasks and give you promise to not make you upset from my work.

It would be beneficial to our firm while tax season. First of all, it will enhance my ability to understand taxation. Secondly, I would be able to give advice to client which keep you away from unnecessary burden from your shoulder. On top of that, you can expand your business because of having an taxation accountant on site.

I would really appreciate if you approve it.

Best Regards.

Faisal Patel

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 request, specifying the desired hours, and outlining the benefits to the employer. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a supervisor. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the explanation of how your studies benefit the firm is a bit repetitive and could be more professional in its phrasing. While the task is fully addressed, the depth of the arguments could be improved to reach a higher band. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements are met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical structure with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the request, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use some cohesive devices like 'First of all', 'Secondly', and 'On top of that' to link your ideas. However, some of these transitions feel a bit mechanical or slightly unnatural in a professional context. The progression of ideas is generally smooth, but the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking phrases to avoid a repetitive structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to communicate your request clearly. You use some topic-specific terms like 'taxation' and 'accountant'. However, there are instances of awkward word choices, such as 'cut-down my working hours' (should be 'reduce') and 'archive my tasks' (likely meant 'achieve' or 'complete'). The phrase 'keep you away from unnecessary burden' is also slightly unnatural. To improve, focus on using more precise professional collocations and avoiding informal phrasing in a business letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'request you to cut-down' (should be 'request a reduction in'), 'at evening' (should be 'in the evening'), and 'while tax season' (should be 'during the tax season'). Additionally, there are minor issues with article usage and preposition choice. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct prepositional phrases will help improve your accuracy.

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

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