Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-28

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 Mr.Patel,

I hope you are doing well. I would like to inform you that from the next month I am planning to take a part-time course at the college. So I won't be able to work full-time, I could still work part-time which is around 24 hours a week.

As I will be attending classes during mornings on weekdays, I will be available in the evenings and weekends too. I know that we mostly require more staff during the evenings as it gets busy at that time only, therefore it would be beneficial for both of us.

As we both know that during winter, our store does not get that much busy. So if I would be working part-time, it will help you to save some money. Moreover, the course which I am taking is 2 years diploma course, therefore I will be working here for long time, and you won't have to worry about finding another staff for that time.

I hope you will understand my situation and reduce my working hours.

Yours Sincerely,

Rishi Patel

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt effectively. You clearly explained the reason for the request (part-time studies), specified the desired hours (24 hours a week, evenings and weekends), and provided a logical argument for how this benefits the employer. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly on the specific skills or knowledge you hope to gain from the course that would directly add value to the business, rather than focusing primarily on the convenience of your availability.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a distinct aspect of the request. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover', 'therefore', and 'As I will be', which help the flow of ideas. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical or repetitive. For instance, the use of 'therefore' appears twice in close proximity. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the progression between sentences feels more natural rather than relying on a standard structure for every paragraph.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. Phrases like 'inform you', 'part-time course', and 'beneficial for both of us' are used correctly. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and repetitive phrasing, such as 'does not get that much busy' (should be 'is not as busy') and 'finding another staff' (staff is an uncountable noun; 'a staff member' would be correct). To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding informal phrasing like 'that much busy'.

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 errors. For example, 'from the next month' should be 'starting next month', and 'if I would be working' is an incorrect conditional structure (should be 'if I work'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article errors, such as '2 years diploma course' (should be 'a two-year diploma course'). Increasing the variety of complex structures while ensuring accuracy in verb tenses and articles will help you achieve a higher band.

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

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