Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Michael,

I am writing this letter to request you about reducing my hours per day required for work. I would like to shorten my working time by 3 hours per day for 3 months as I need to dedicate that time for my part-time course. The course that I have joined is called Artifical Intelligence in Business as this course would help me in long-term career growth.

The course is provided by the Stanford University, and is an online course from Monday to Friday, and in-person on weekends. The course timings are from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM on weekdays, and 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM on weekends. The course duration is 3 months, so I would need my working hours per day to be adjusted accordingly.

This course would help me improve my skills, which will be beneficial for the company as well. As this course is from a reputed university, the certificate of this course would have great significance for my career. As we are in the era of AI, this course would give me knowledge required to implement AI in our products. This will eventually improve the business and improve company profits.

Kind regards,

James

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request, specify the desired working hours, and provide a logical argument for how the employer will benefit from your studies. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific detail regarding the exact schedule you propose for your working days, as you mention the course timings but not the specific hours you intend to be in the office. Overall, the response is well-focused and fulfills the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which aids readability. You use some cohesive devices such as 'as', 'this course', and 'in addition' (implied by the flow). However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some sentences are slightly repetitive in structure. Improving the variety of linking words would help the flow feel more natural and sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'dedicate', 'career growth', and 'implement'. There are some minor issues with collocation, such as 'request you about reducing', which should be 'request a reduction in my working hours'. Additionally, 'Artifical' is misspelled. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the range of less common or more precise lexical items that would characterize a higher band score. Focusing on more natural collocations and precise business terminology will enhance your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'As we are in the era of AI, this course would give me knowledge...'. Most of your sentences are clear and error-free, though there are occasional slips, such as 'The course is provided by the Stanford University' (the 'the' before Stanford is unnecessary). Your control of punctuation and tense is generally good. To improve, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex structures, such as conditional sentences or passive voice, to demonstrate greater grammatical flexibility while maintaining your current level of accuracy.

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

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