Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

Dear boss,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to inform you about I will not be able to work full time from September because of my school will start from 1st of September and I would like to discuss my availability to you in advance.

As I mentioned that, My study will begins from 1st week of September as a part time student, I need to take care of certain important things before it will start. As I failed in one subject last semester, I need to retake that into final semester. I have to pass into this course and study well this time. However, because I am working full time there I cannot manage my studies and sleep. As it caused me stress and low energy due to less sleep. This is the significant reason I would like that if you could reduce my working hours.

My school schedule is from Monday to Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and my availability is from Tuesday till Sunday after 2:00 p.m. till closing.

I want to ensure you that reduced hours will not affect my working capacity and taking good sleep will improve my productivity at workplace.

I hope you will understand me well. Also, please let me know if you require any further information. I look forward to hearing from you.

yours faithfully,

smit.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter addresses all three bullet points: the reason for the request, the specific hours required, and the benefits to the employer. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter to a boss. However, the explanation regarding the benefits to the employer is somewhat weak; while you mention that better sleep will improve productivity, you could have more explicitly linked your studies to how they might add value to the company (e.g., gaining new skills that could be applied to your current role). The content is relevant and the purpose of the letter is clear throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized into clear paragraphs, each serving a distinct purpose. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'However' and 'Also', to link your thoughts. However, the use of referencing is occasionally slightly awkward, such as in the phrase 'As I mentioned that, My study will begins'. Improving the flow between sentences and ensuring that cohesive devices are used more naturally would help elevate this score. Overall, the structure is coherent and the message is easy to understand.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have an adequate range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. You use some appropriate phrases like 'working capacity' and 'productivity at workplace'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'I want to ensure you' (should be 'assure') and 'My study will begins' (grammatical error affecting lexical accuracy). The vocabulary is functional but lacks the range of less common or more sophisticated items that would be expected at a higher band level. Focusing on more precise collocations will improve your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The letter contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'because of my school will start', 'My study will begins', and 'I need to retake that into final semester'. These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not impede the overall meaning of your request. To improve, you should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of prepositions. While you attempt complex sentences, they often contain minor errors that affect the overall accuracy of your writing.

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

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