Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-06

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 hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to request an important change in my schedule. I am taking admission in medical terminology course which is going to require me to go to college campus thrice a week for classes.

I thought about managing my work and study schedule and came to conclusion that I need to reduce my work days from 5 days per week to 3 days every week. I kindly request to you to approve it as education is significantly precious for my career growth.

Also, I want to tell you that is it also going to help me to contribute more at our workplace. Since I am already working as a PSW, getting a medical terminology certification will support me in working as a clerical associate whenever needed.

I will try to put the same efforts whenever I am at job so that the work quality stays the same. if you can approve my request it will be really appreciated. Please feel free to reach me out if any questions or concerns.

Kind regards

Komal

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state the reason for the request (a medical terminology course), specify the desired schedule (reducing from 5 to 3 days), and explain the benefit to the employer (gaining skills to assist as a clerical associate). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a supervisor. To reach a higher band, ensure that the explanation of benefits is slightly more detailed; for instance, you could elaborate on how your new certification would specifically improve office efficiency or patient care, rather than just stating it will support your role.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the task. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Also', 'Since', and 'whenever', which help the flow of ideas. However, the transition between the request for hours and the explanation of benefits could be smoother. Additionally, some sentences are slightly repetitive in structure. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph flows naturally into the next would enhance the overall coherence of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'medical terminology', 'certification', and 'clerical associate'. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'taking admission in' is not standard English; 'enrolling in' would be more natural. Similarly, 'significantly precious' is an awkward collocation; 'invaluable' or 'highly important' would be more precise. While your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate your message clearly, incorporating more sophisticated or precise collocations would help elevate your score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors. For instance, 'I kindly request to you to approve it' contains an unnecessary preposition; it should be 'I kindly request that you approve it'. There are also minor errors with articles and prepositions, such as 'at job' instead of 'at my job' and 'is it also going to' which is a word order error. Increasing the frequency of error-free sentences and refining your control over complex structures will help you achieve a higher band.

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

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