Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-09

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 Sir,

I am writing this letter to request your support for reducing my working hours by 1 hour at the end of the day. I have been enrolled for a part-time course.

I have decided to learn a digital marketing course. This course will help me to learn the strategies of how to improve a brand and content creation.

Furthermore, completing this course will help me to achieve the targets within the deadline and also I can implement the techniques to develop our brand to the new next level.

I hereby request you to kindly reduce my working hours by 1 hour. My official work timings from 9 am to 5 pm. I would like to request you to reduce my timings by 1 hour that is from 9 am to 4 pm. This reduce timings will help me to commute to the university on time.

I look forward to hearing from you a positive response.

Thank you,

Yours faithfully

Usha

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: explaining the reason for the request, specifying the desired hours, and describing the benefits to the employer. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a boss. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, while you mention that the course will help with 'brand and content creation,' providing a more specific example of how this applies to your current company's projects would have strengthened the argument. The letter is clear and the purpose is immediately understood, meeting the requirements for a Band 6.5 or 7.0 level of task fulfillment.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical structure, with clear paragraphing separating the introduction, the explanation of benefits, the request for hours, and the closing. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore' and 'I hereby request,' which help the flow. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs is slightly abrupt. The referencing is generally clear, though some sentences are a bit repetitive in structure. Overall, the information is organized coherently, and the progression of ideas is easy to follow throughout the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for this task. Phrases like 'enrolled for a part-time course' and 'implement the techniques' are appropriate. However, there are some minor inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as 'reduce my timings' (should be 'reduce my working hours') and 'to the new next level' (which is redundant). You rely on some basic vocabulary, but it is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise professional collocations related to workplace negotiations and professional development.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I have decided to learn a digital marketing course' (you 'take' or 'study' a course, not 'learn' it) and 'My official work timings from 9 am to 5 pm' (missing the verb 'are'). Additionally, 'This reduce timings' should be 'These reduced hours.' While these errors are noticeable, they do not impede the overall communication of your request. You have a reasonable grasp of basic grammar, but more attention to subject-verb agreement and word forms is needed for a higher score.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.