Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear sir,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to request you to reduce my working hours as i recently got admission in my part time course " Delegation in Dementia". As you know, i am currently working above 40 hours a week, being a wife and mother of two children it is very difficult for me to study part-time, work and also give enough time to my family. I really want to successfully complete this program as am willing gain additional knowledge and improve my working skills at workplace.

Moreover, we also got some new residents those are suffering with second and third level dementia. I want learn safe and appropriate techniques from this course so that i would able deal with them in a safe and professional way.

Moving forward this program will be 6 months longer. The classes will be fixed and they will be from Thursday to Sunday. So i request you to reduce my working hours so that i would also have time to study and maintain a healthy balance between my personal and professional life. I can work Monday to Wednesday anytime i schedule. I will really appreciate your kindness and understanding.

Thank you,

Geetanjali

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task effectively. You clearly explained the reason for your request (the dementia course), specified your preferred working hours (Monday to Wednesday), and described the benefits to your employer (improved skills for handling residents with dementia). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a supervisor. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, providing a clear justification for your request. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between your studies and the specific needs of the workplace is even more explicitly linked to the employer's operational goals.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the purpose of the letter to the justification and finally the proposed schedule. Paragraphing is used to separate these distinct ideas, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Moreover' and 'Moving forward', though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, although the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect your personal circumstances with your professional requirements more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using topic-specific terms like 'dementia', 'professional', and 'part-time course'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and repetitive phrasing, such as 'give enough time' and 'working above 40 hours'. While your meaning is always clear, the vocabulary is somewhat functional rather than sophisticated. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and avoid repeating basic verbs. For example, instead of 'give enough time', you could use 'balance my professional and personal commitments'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. For example, you omit the subject in 'I want learn' (should be 'I want to learn') and 'so that i would able deal' (should be 'so that I would be able to deal'). Additionally, there are issues with capitalization of 'i' and some missing articles. While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of modal verbs will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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