Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-26

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 Mr. Smith,

I am writing to request a temporary reduction in my working hours as I am starting a part-time finance course alongwith my current job.

I have recently enrolled in six-months finance management program, which requires me to attend 3 days of college every week after 12pm. I strongly believe that gaining additional professional skills and knowledge will helpful to broaden my knowledge and I will work in more efficient way. Therefore, I would be grateful if you could reduce my working hours from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., for last 3 days of the week.

Although our firm is based on finance and budget management skills, I believe that this course is beneficial for the company as I will be able to apply my skills more effectively.

I would appreciate it if you could consider my request.

Yours faithfully,

Harpree Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the specific hours required, and the benefits to the employer. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum, which negatively impacts the development of ideas. While the purpose is clear, the explanation of how the studies benefit the employer is somewhat brief and could have been expanded to better demonstrate the value of the request. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager, and the purpose is consistently maintained throughout the text.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the request from the justification. Cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'Although', and 'as' are used to link ideas, though the flow is occasionally slightly mechanical. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, and the letter maintains a consistent focus on the request throughout. The structure is sufficient for the task, though more varied transition phrases would improve the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to communicate the request clearly. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'alongwith' (should be 'along with') and 'will helpful' (should be 'will be helpful'). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, relying on basic phrasing to describe the course and the benefits. To achieve a higher band, the student should incorporate more precise professional terminology related to finance and workplace management to demonstrate a wider range of lexical items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'six-months finance management program' (should be 'six-month'), 'will helpful' (missing 'be'), and 'work in more efficient way' (missing 'a'). Punctuation is generally correct, though the phrasing 'for last 3 days' is slightly awkward. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. The student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles to improve accuracy.

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

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