Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-25

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. David,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to request if I could reduce my working hours because I enrolled in new course that is starting from next month.

I would like to work part-time because I am going to study to improve my skills regarding project management. In this course, I could get to know about how international firm manage their project smoothly and how to communicate with various managers at the same time.

It is basically a online class; that is conducted in morning, starting at 9AM to 12Pm; last about 3 hours daily for 5 months. For that reason, I could work only in afternoon shift 1AM to 5PM.

This course would benefit our company also. In this time I could learn management skills that will assist me to manage our projects at the same time. In addition, while learning this course, I could get a chance to meet various managers from different countries, and that would benefit me to establish a connection that will help in future for our company to get projects from international firms.

Thank you for considering my request. I hope hearing from you soon.

Yours

faithfully,

Axay Nayi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (a project management course), specify the desired working hours (1 PM to 5 PM), and articulate the benefits to your employer, such as improved management skills and potential international networking. The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a manager. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between the course content and your specific workplace duties is even more explicitly detailed to demonstrate a stronger professional rationale.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices like 'In addition' and 'For that reason' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally slightly mechanical. To improve, try to vary your transition words and ensure that the logical progression between sentences is smoother, particularly in the second paragraph where the explanation of the course could be more tightly integrated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'international firm', 'project management', and 'establish a connection'. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'enrolled in new course' (missing an article) and 'learning this course' (collocation error; you 'take' or 'study' a course). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Expanding your use of professional collocations would enhance the quality of your writing.

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 hope hearing from you soon' (should be 'I hope to hear'), 'a online class' (should be 'an'), and '1AM to 5PM' (which is technically overnight; you likely meant 1 PM). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the use of semicolons. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on article usage and verb patterns will help improve your accuracy.

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

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