Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-07

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 to put a request for reducing my working hours as I am planning to enroll into a part time course.

The course that I am about to enroll is a french language course, which will conducted four times a week for 3 hours from 9 am to 12 pm, this will be a 8 months duration. As i will be quite focused almost most of my time during these days, I want to reduce my shift from 8 hours to 4 hours

I believe that my studies would also benefit the company. The course will help me develop new skills and gain updated knowledge in my field, which I will be able to apply in my work. As a result, I hope to become a more efficient employee and contribute more effectively to the organisation.

I would be grateful if you could consider my request. I am happy to discuss this arrangement further at your convenience.

Yours sincerely,

Aron Pateliya

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (enrolling in a French course), specify the desired working hours (reducing from 8 to 4 hours), and describe the benefits to the employer (gaining new skills and increased efficiency). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a boss. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands your position and the proposed changes. To reach a higher band, ensure that the specific hours (e.g., 9 am to 1 pm) are clearly linked to the proposed work schedule to avoid any ambiguity regarding your availability.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'As a result' and 'I believe that' to connect your ideas. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and ensuring that the transition between the course details and the request for reduced hours is smoother. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms like 'enroll', 'duration', and 'arrangement' appropriately. There are some minor issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'put a request' (should be 'make a request') and 'conducted' (should be 'be conducted'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and variety of less common lexical items that would characterize a higher band score. Focusing on more formal 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, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors that slightly distract the reader. For example, 'which will conducted' should be 'which will be conducted', and 'a 8 months duration' should be 'an 8-month duration'. Additionally, there are minor punctuation and capitalization errors, such as 'i' instead of 'I' and missing commas. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent use of articles will significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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