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 Sir or Madam,

I am writing to request for the reduction of my working hours.

I want to reduce my working hours because I have recently joined a part-time baking course in the nearby university. I had a keen desire to learn baking and become a professional baker.

However, I would like to work from 2:00pm to 5:00pm in the evening. Additionally, during weekends I could work for the full day because my classes would be off on weekends. Morover, I could utelise my free time by enhancing my skils that would help me in building my future.

Furthermore, my previous studies would help you to gain majority of customers from the market. As I did my bachlore's degree in sales and marketing that would definitely assist you to sell products in the market by using product marketing techniques. I would appreciate it if you would consider my request and reduce my office hours.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Manmeet

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (a baking course), specify the desired hours, and outline the benefits to the employer. However, the development of the third point is slightly weak; while you mention your marketing degree, the connection between a baking course and your employer's sales is not fully logical or convincing. To improve, ensure that the benefits you describe are directly relevant to the specific context of the request. Overall, the tone is appropriate for a formal letter to an employer.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Additionally', and 'Furthermore' to link your ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs is slightly abrupt. The use of paragraphing is appropriate, and the progression of ideas is generally easy to follow. To reach a higher band, ensure that the logical flow between sentences is smoother and that you avoid minor mechanical errors in linking phrases.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'reduction', 'professional', and 'enhancing'. There are, however, several spelling errors such as 'Morover', 'utelise', 'skils', and 'bachlore's'. These errors are noticeable but do not impede communication. To improve, focus on proofreading your work to catch these common spelling mistakes. Using more precise collocations, such as 'enrolling in a course' instead of 'joined a course', would also help elevate your lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'request for the reduction' (should be 'request to reduce') and 'my classes would be off' (should be 'I would not have classes'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation and article usage errors. While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your message, they occur frequently enough to limit your score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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