Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

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

I want to reduce my working hours because I have recently joined a part-time baking course at 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. Moreover, I could utilise my free time by enhancing my skills 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 6.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to the employer. However, the development of these points is somewhat uneven. The explanation regarding the baking course is clear, but the connection between a baking course and the employer's benefit is not fully logical or convincing. The mention of a 'bachelor's degree in sales and marketing' is a bit abrupt and does not clearly link to the baking course mentioned earlier. To reach a higher band, ensure that the ideas flow logically and are fully supported with relevant details.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, and the progression of ideas is generally easy to follow. You have used some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Additionally', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore' to link your sentences. While these are effective, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, though the transition between the baking course and the sales degree is a bit disjointed, which affects the overall flow. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring smoother transitions between disparate ideas would enhance the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, allowing you to communicate your request clearly. You use some relevant terms like 'professional baker', 'utilise', and 'marketing techniques'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'classes would be off' (better: 'classes would not be held') and 'gain majority of customers' (better: 'attract a larger customer base'). The vocabulary is functional but lacks the precision and flexibility required for higher bands. Expanding your range of collocations and idiomatic expressions would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While your meaning is consistently clear, there are several grammatical errors. For example, 'I had a keen desire to learn baking' is slightly unnatural in this context, and 'As I did my bachlore's degree' contains a spelling error and an awkward phrasing. There are also minor issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and refining complex sentence structures will 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.