Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-02

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. Wilson,

I hope you are doing well.

I am writing this letter to reduce my working hours because I will be enrolling in a part time study starting this September.

To begin with , I would like to work only 30 hours instead of 45 hours per week. This will allow me to focus on my studies and achieve good scores in the examination. Moreover, working from 8 AM to 3 PM will provide enough time for me to complete my tasks at work and also concentrate on my education.

Moving on, I will be enrolling in payroll which will teach us about the new software, as a result daily tasks at the workplace can be done in an efficient way. That will not only save time but also make our clients happy if the work is completed before time.

I hope you will consider my request. I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Simran Alexander

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explained the reason for the request (enrolling in part-time study), specified the desired working hours (30 hours per week, 8 AM to 3 PM), and described the benefit to the employer (learning payroll software to increase efficiency). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between the study and the employer's benefit is more explicitly linked to the specific role you perform, as the current explanation is slightly generic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical structure with clear paragraphing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the task. You use some cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Moreover', and 'Moving on' to transition between ideas. However, the use of 'Moving on' is slightly informal for a professional letter. Additionally, the punctuation around 'To begin with ,' is incorrect, with a space before the comma. Improving the variety of linking phrases and ensuring precise punctuation would enhance the flow of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, such as 'enrolling', 'efficient', and 'consider my request'. The language is clear and conveys your meaning effectively. However, the vocabulary is somewhat basic and lacks the precision or 'less common' items that would push the score into the 7.0+ range. For example, 'good scores' is a very simple collocation. Using more sophisticated alternatives like 'academic excellence' or 'proficiency' would demonstrate a wider lexical range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most of your sentences are clear and easy to follow. There are a few minor errors, such as 'enrolling in a part time study' (should be 'part-time studies' or 'a part-time course') and the spacing error in 'To begin with ,'. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the writing from being considered error-free. To improve, focus on consistent use of articles and correct punctuation spacing.

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

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