Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-27

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 Ajay,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing this letter to request to reduce my current working hours due to my upcoming part-time course which I take for my further carrier enhancement.

As I am working as a design engineer I noticed that their is a swift change in the field, new software are replacing the older versions. In order to stay up-to-date with the new advancement the this field this course is mandatory for me.

I request you to please change my shift timing which is currently from 9 am to 5 pm to 2 pm to 8 pm for two months, so I get sufficient for my studies. This can help me in focusing on my studies.

As this course is related to my current designing job. My knowledge of updated software will help company to finish task before the dead line and also gives better result to costumers.

Thank you for understanding.

Sincerely,

Pankaj

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request, specify the desired working hours, and articulate the benefits to your employer. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a supervisor. However, the development of ideas is somewhat brief. For instance, while you mention that the course will help with deadlines and customers, expanding slightly on how the specific software skills would be applied to current projects would have made the argument more persuasive and fully developed. Overall, the task is addressed 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 requirement of the prompt. You use some cohesive devices such as 'As I am working' and 'In order to', which help the flow of ideas. However, the transition between the request for hours and the benefits to the employer could be smoother. Additionally, some sentences are slightly disjointed, such as the repetition of 'the' in 'the this field'. Improving the variety of linking words would help achieve a higher band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'enhancement', 'mandatory', and 'sufficient'. There are some minor errors in word choice and spelling, such as 'carrier' instead of 'career', 'their' instead of 'there', and 'costumers' instead of 'customers'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do indicate a need for more careful proofreading. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations and ensure that common words are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'new software are replacing' (subject-verb agreement) and 'the this field' (redundant article). Punctuation is generally functional, but some sentences would benefit from better comma usage to improve readability. The majority of your sentences are understandable, but the frequency of minor errors prevents a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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