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 Sir/Madam,

I am writing to request in the reduction of my working hours so i can focus on my part-time studies.

I decided to join a four month AI/ML learning course in the university of Calgary. This course require 80% of in-class attendance resulting this request of less working hours also, I cannot work on weekend because of assignment as the course requires 60% in overall grading to pass.

My classes will take place early in the mornings on every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday which lessen my availability to after 11:00 AM on these days.

I am willing to work at same schedule on remaining days.

As I am working as an data engineer at your company. Learning about artificial intelligence and machine learning allow me to integrate it with our current system making it more efficient and useful as per modern context. In addition to this, this can save our organization a lot of money on hiring new AI developers to implement it in our system.

Yours faithfully,

Aryan saini

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and outlining the benefits to the employer. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a boss. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, while you mention the course will help the company, expanding slightly more on how your specific role as a data engineer would benefit from these new skills would have strengthened the argument. The purpose of the letter is clear from the outset, and the requirements are met effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into distinct paragraphs, each serving a clear purpose. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In addition to this' and 'As I am working as', which help the flow of ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs is slightly abrupt. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some sentences are a bit fragmented, which slightly impacts the overall flow. Improving the variety of linking words would help move the response from a functional level to a more sophisticated one.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'integrate', 'efficient', and 'artificial intelligence'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'request in the reduction' (should be 'request for a reduction') and 'in the university' (should be 'at the university'). Additionally, 'lessen my availability to' is slightly awkward phrasing. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are several grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'I decided to join... in the university' (should be 'at'), 'This course require' (subject-verb agreement error: 'requires'), and 'resulting this request' (should be 'resulting in this request'). Furthermore, the sentence 'As I am working as an data engineer at your company' is a dependent clause and should be connected to the following sentence. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score.

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

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