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 Sir,

I am writing this letter to talk to you regarding the reduction of my working hours in the job. I got selected for the B.Tech course that I applied online recently. And hence I would be requiring some time off from work in order to study.

My college commences at 9 am and ends at 4 pm. I am willing to work after college hours. I am very much interested to studying this course as I got selected among competitive candidates. I am very much honored to work at your company after my college ends.

With the completion of my degree I would be able to help you in the technical aspects like formatting all data in the excel and archiving them in the online database. I would also be helpful during the tax auditing periods by revealing all the data in the proper timeline.

Thereby, I kindly request you to grant me permission to study part time and I assure you that I would continue to work after college hours.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly state the reason for the request (enrolling in a B.Tech course), specify the desired working hours (after 4 pm), and explain the benefits to the employer (technical data formatting and tax auditing support). The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a supervisor. The ideas are relevant and sufficiently developed to meet the requirements of the task. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on how your specific studies directly translate into the value you provide to the company, making the argument even more persuasive.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each serving a clear purpose. There is a clear progression of ideas from the request to the justification and finally the proposed solution. You use some cohesive devices such as 'And hence', 'With the completion of', and 'Thereby'. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. For instance, starting sentences with 'I am' frequently limits the flow. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between the explanation of your studies and the benefits to the employer would enhance the overall cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'commences', 'competitive candidates', and 'archiving'. However, there are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'talk to you regarding the reduction' (better: 'discuss reducing') and 'revealing all the data' (better: 'managing' or 'organizing'). The vocabulary is functional and conveys your meaning clearly, but it lacks the precision and sophistication required for higher bands. Focusing on collocations—words that naturally go together—will help you sound more professional and fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical inaccuracies. For example, 'I am very much interested to studying' should be 'interested in studying'. Additionally, 'formatting all data in the excel' should be 'in Excel' (capitalized, no article). There are also minor issues with article usage and preposition choice. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Increasing your control over verb patterns and prepositions will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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