Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-30

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 John,

I am writing regarding to make a request for cutting down of my working hours for pursuing a part time course, which is intensive French language offered by my neighbourhood community centre.It is a 3 months in person class, 2 hours per day on weekday, from 6pm to 8pm. This language course will start at next month of first Monday, which is 1st October, 2026.

Therefore, I would like to negotiate schedule with you beforehand so that you can work out on the necessary manpower. May I propose to change my regular hour, 9am-6pm on Weekday to 8am-5pm, which is one hour earlier?

In addition to that, I strongly believe that, this program will bring huge advantages to our team. As we have to deal with a lots of

French speaking customer in our project, this course will help me build a better communication with our valuable customer which can foster our company profit.

I hope you will consider my request with kind consideration. Please let me know if you need additional information of my study.

Best regards,

Khin

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the specific hours desired, and the benefits to the employer. The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a manager. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented, though the development of the 'benefit' section could be slightly more detailed to reach a higher band. The purpose of the letter is clear from the outset, and the information provided is sufficient to meet the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Paragraphing is used to separate the request from the justification. Cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'In addition to that', and 'As' are used to link ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, and the referencing is generally clear, ensuring the reader understands the request and the context without confusion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing for clear communication. There are some minor collocation issues, such as 'regarding to make a request' (should be 'regarding a request') and 'foster our company profit' (should be 'increase company profits'). While the range is sufficient to convey the message, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. The student uses some topic-specific vocabulary like 'manpower' and 'negotiate', which is appropriate for a business context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'cutting down of my working hours' (should be 'reducing my working hours'), 'at next month of first Monday' (should be 'on the first Monday of next month'), and 'a lots of' (should be 'a lot of'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede the overall meaning of the letter. Punctuation is generally functional, though there are minor issues with spacing and comma usage.

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.