Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Mr. Blake,

The purpose of my writing is to inform you about changes in my working hours due to my part time education.

As you know last week , I have been accepted for the Counselling course at University with part time capacity. Having class timings in morning , it is difficult for me to manage my time along with work.

Moreover, according to my class schedule, I am available to work after 01:00pm from Monday to Friday where I can easily manage my work with my studies.

Nevertheless, counselling education not only helpful for me to my career path also helpful for our clients as we are paying extra money to social workers for counselling sessions.

Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated. Furthermore, an open line of communication , from your side, in this case would greatly help out.

Best regards

Alex

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The letter covers all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the preferred hours, and the benefits to the employer. However, the response is slightly under the 150-word minimum, which impacts the overall development of ideas. While the purpose is clear, the explanation regarding how the studies benefit the employer is somewhat brief and could have been expanded to better persuade the reader. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a manager, though the brevity prevents a more professional and persuasive elaboration of the points.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of the request. Cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'Nevertheless', and 'Furthermore' are used to link ideas. However, the connection between some sentences is slightly mechanical, and the flow could be improved with more varied transitions. The use of paragraphing is sufficient, but the overall structure feels a bit disjointed due to the short, punchy nature of the sentences. Referencing is generally clear, though the transition between the benefits of the course and the request for communication could be smoother.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the student to convey the necessary information clearly. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'part time capacity' instead of 'part-time basis' and 'paying extra money' instead of 'incurring additional costs'. While the range is sufficient to address the prompt, it lacks the sophistication and precision expected at higher bands. The student uses basic terminology, and while communication is never impeded, the lexical choices do not demonstrate a wide or flexible range of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'The purpose of my writing is to inform you about changes in my working hours' (should be 'to inform you of'), 'Having class timings in morning' (missing article 'the'), and 'counselling education not only helpful' (missing verb 'is'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with the placement of commas. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the message, they occur frequently enough to suggest a lack of control over complex structures.

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

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