Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-31

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,

I am writing this letter to reduce the working hours in need to study part-time. From the next month I would like to reduce my working hours to 24 hours per week because I enrolled in the university for the further education and I am having classes for straight 4 days from Monday. Furthermore, I prefer to work in the mornings only for the rest of the days. Consequently, I can focus on my assignments in order to get good grades in the diploma.

In addition to this, the study that I am going to pursue is directly related to the work , and it is going to aid me to be more professional in the work place. Moreover, that put the positive effect on the work this results in enhancement of the productivity of work. I hope I will be allowed to pursue the diploma , which is going to be fruitful for the company.

I will be thankful to you for your support.

Yours sincerely,

Harpinder Singh.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (further education), specify the desired hours (24 hours per week, mornings only), and describe the benefits to the employer (professional development and increased productivity). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a boss. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between your studies and the company's specific needs is more explicitly detailed, as the current explanation is slightly generic. Overall, the task is fully addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. You use cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', 'In addition to this', and 'Moreover' to link your ideas. However, some of these transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive. The paragraphing is sufficient, though the second paragraph is quite dense. To improve, try to vary your linking words and ensure that the progression of ideas flows more naturally between sentences rather than relying on standard transition markers at the start of every sentence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'pursue', 'enhancement', and 'productivity'. There are some minor collocation issues, such as 'that put the positive effect on the work', which sounds unnatural. Additionally, 'in need to study' is an awkward phrasing. While your vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band. Focusing on more natural collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing will help improve your score in this area.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I am writing this letter to reduce the working hours in need to study' (should be 'in order to study') and 'I am having classes for straight 4 days' (should be 'I have classes for four consecutive days'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but there are some spacing issues before commas. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and more accurate preposition usage.

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

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