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 Mr. Kevin,

I am writing to request you to decline my working hours because I want to take admission in part time course.

I am looking for part time Digital marketing course to enhance my professional skills and this course demands four hours every evening. Consequently, I have to lessen my work to gain success in this course.

The length of the course is three months and this is an evening course. So, I would be able to work only from 9 am to 3pm as my course will start at 4pm Monday to Friday.

After completing the course I would have the more practical knowledge of digital marketing which will assist to increase productivity as I can apply my knowledge to attract customers . As a result, this course can be helpful for me and company both.

It would be appreciated if you consider my request. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon,

Yours sincerely,

Deep

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: the reason for the request, the specific hours required, and the benefits to the employer. The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a manager. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, the explanation of how the digital marketing course benefits the company is brief. To reach a higher band, you could expand on how specific skills (e.g., SEO, social media management) would directly improve the company's current marketing strategy. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements are met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a distinct purpose. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Consequently', 'So', and 'As a result' to link your sentences. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter, and the opening and closing salutations are correct. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases to create a more natural flow between sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'enhance', 'professional skills', and 'productivity'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice. For example, you wrote 'decline my working hours' when you meant 'reduce' or 'decrease'. Additionally, 'take admission in' is not standard English; 'enroll in' or 'start' would be more natural. While these errors do not impede communication, they limit the precision of your writing. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise collocations would help improve your score.

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 would have the more practical knowledge' (the article 'the' is unnecessary) and 'helpful for me and company both' (should be 'both for me and the company'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, though there are minor issues with spacing and capitalization. The errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your message. Focusing on article usage and 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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