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 sir,

I am Priyanka Sharma and currently working in accounts department in your company. I have been working in Trancevape from last 3 years. It has been a great experience and I am very grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the wonderful team. However, I would like to make a humble request to you to please reduce my work hours . The reason behind this decision is that I am planning to persuade my studies in accounting and debt management. It is a short term program which is of 6months.

My academic schedule is offline, and I will be attending the afternoon sessions. It is going to be tuesday and thursdays. I will only be able to work half day on those days to accommodate my shift.

Moreover, this course is goint to be beneficial to the company as well as my skills will be greatly improved by the end of the year.

I really thankful fo your attention to this matter and looking forward to your response.

Yours obedient

Priyanka Sharma

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task. You clearly explained your reason for wanting to reduce hours (pursuing studies), specified the days you need off (Tuesday and Thursday), and described the benefit to the employer (improved skills). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. To reach a higher band, ensure that the benefits to the employer are more explicitly linked to your specific role in the accounts department, rather than just stating your skills will improve. The letter is well-structured and covers all necessary information to satisfy the prompt requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the introduction to the request, the specific schedule, and finally the benefits. You use basic cohesive devices like 'However', 'Moreover', and 'The reason behind this decision'. While the organization is clear, the paragraphing is somewhat limited; the body of the letter could be more effectively broken into distinct paragraphs for each requirement to improve readability. Additionally, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring each paragraph focuses on a single main idea would enhance the flow and coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms like 'accounts department', 'accommodate', and 'beneficial'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'persuade my studies' (should be 'pursue') and 'Yours obedient' (the standard closing is 'Yours sincerely'). There are also minor spelling errors like 'goint' and 'fo'. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and checking for common spelling slips. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your message clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher band scores.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'working in accounts department' (missing article 'the'), 'from last 3 years' (should be 'for the last 3 years'), and 'It is going to be tuesday and thursdays' (capitalization and preposition errors). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement, correct article usage, and consistent verb tense will help improve your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.