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 am writing this letter to appreciate the efforts that you have put into me. In addition to that, I want to learn more to get a better position in this company. But for that, I have to increase my academic level as well. So, that's why I have taken the small six months course, which will help me to get the desired position. For that, the class timing and the office timings are clashing. To avoid these issues, I am requesting you to kindly minimise my working hours.

This is a part time course. Moreover, the classes are from Monday to Friday from 10 am to 1 pm. I am requesting you to kindly adjust my schedule accordingly or give me work on weekends, as our company works on weekends as well.

Therefore, my part time education will help me in various ways. As I am taking the administrative business course. Firstly, I will get familiar with new terms that we use in this business era. Secondly, I know I am already gaining work experience, but if I gain some academic experience. It will be beneficial in future.

To conclude, I am requesting you to kindly adjust the working schedule for me and for my better future. Looking forward for your response.

Thanks and regards

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to the employer. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the explanation of how your studies will benefit the employer is a bit vague; you mention 'new terms' and 'academic experience' but could have been more specific about how these skills would directly improve your performance or contribute to the company's productivity. Expanding on these benefits would have strengthened the persuasive nature of your request.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a distinct purpose. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In addition to that', 'Moreover', 'Firstly', and 'Secondly' to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive. Additionally, the referencing is occasionally slightly unclear, such as in the sentence 'For that, the class timing and the office timings are clashing', where 'For that' does not clearly link to the preceding sentence. Overall, the progression of ideas is easy to follow, and the paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'administrative business course' and 'desired position'. There are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'appreciate the efforts that you have put into me' (which sounds a bit awkward; 'invested in me' would be more natural) and 'this business era' (which is vague). While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. You rely on fairly simple word choices throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as sentence fragments ('But for that, I have to increase my academic level as well.') and punctuation issues (e.g., 'If I gain some academic experience. It will be beneficial in future.'). The use of articles and prepositions is generally accurate, but the sentence structure is occasionally disjointed. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on connecting your ideas into more fluid, grammatically correct complex sentences would be beneficial.

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

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