Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter to express my concern regarding the reduction in my working hours due to part time study.

Firstly, I would like to mention I have recently joined a college for my part-time study, due to this I have needed 2 or 3 days off from work every week so I can only work on the weekends due to classes in the weekdays.

Secondly, before joining classes I was doing a full-time job here but now I have some academic requirements from my college as I cannot do more than 24 hours per week according to the rules and regulations of the education policy.

Last but not the least, my ongoing part-time study will help you in the future because it is related to the food and safety which will positively contribute to maintaining the restaurant's food and safety.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Best regards,

Lovejeet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to the employer. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of the benefit to the employer is brief and lacks detail regarding how the 'food and safety' knowledge would be applied in practice. While the tone is appropriate for a formal letter, the content could be expanded to provide a more persuasive argument for the employer, which would better satisfy the requirements for a higher band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is organized into clear paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Last but not the least' provides a logical framework. However, the transitions between sentences are sometimes mechanical, and the flow could be improved by using more varied linking phrases. The referencing is generally clear, though the connection between the educational policy mentioned in the third paragraph and the request for reduced hours could be articulated more smoothly to enhance the overall progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate their needs clearly. There are some attempts at more specific terminology, such as 'academic requirements' and 'rules and regulations'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there is a lack of more sophisticated or precise vocabulary that would elevate the response. For example, 'joined a college' could be more naturally expressed as 'enrolled in a course'. The word choice is functional but lacks the flexibility and precision required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies. For example, 'due to this I have needed' is slightly awkward, and 'related to the food and safety' is missing a noun or needs rephrasing (e.g., 'food safety standards'). There are also minor punctuation and preposition errors, such as 'in the weekdays' instead of 'on weekdays'. These errors do not impede communication, but they indicate a need for greater control over complex sentence construction and preposition usage.

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

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