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 Sir/Ma’am,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing because I want to formally request if you can reduce my working hours, as I have decided to enroll in a part-time study for baking.

My part-time study is held every Monday, Tuesday and Friday at eight o'clock in the morning up to twelve in the afternoon. I believe that studying baking can help me grow more as a cook in this restaurant and I can contribute more recipes in our menu. This will not only benefit me , but also for your company because me as your employee is trying to learn a new skill. With this, I would like to ask you if you can change my schedules during the mentioned weekdays to 1PM up to 5PM. Additionally, I would like to work on weekends to fulfill the lacking number of work hours if possible.

Thank you for your time reading this and I am hoping for a positive response from your end.

Regards,

Janica Alexis Gan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (baking studies), specify the desired hours (1 PM to 5 PM on weekdays), and articulate the benefit to the employer (contributing new recipes). The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a manager. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on how the new skills would specifically improve the restaurant's menu or operations, providing more depth to the justification. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the purpose of the letter to the specific request and the benefits. Paragraphing is used, though the letter would benefit from a clearer separation between the request details and the justification. Cohesive devices such as 'Additionally' and 'With this' are used to link ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The flow is generally smooth, and the reader can easily follow your argument. To improve, ensure that each paragraph has a distinct focus to enhance the overall structure.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'formally request', 'enroll', and 'contribute'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing, such as 'part-time study for baking' (better: 'part-time baking course') and 'me as your employee is trying' (better: 'as an employee, I am trying'). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but using more precise collocations would elevate the response. The language is functional and appropriate for a professional context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'from eight o'clock in the morning up to twelve' (better: 'from 8 AM until 12 PM') and 'benefit me, but also for your company' (better: 'benefit not only me but also the company'). Punctuation is generally correct, though there is a minor error with the spacing before the comma in 'benefit me , but'. Despite these errors, the meaning is never obscured, and the grammar is generally reliable for a task of this nature.

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

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