Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear sir,

I am writing to request reduction in my working hours so that i can pursue part-time study alongside my job.

After thinking carefully, I have decided to enroll in part-time diploma course in Cyber-security. As you know, our company relies on data and formal training of it can be effectively useful after my graduation to protect and secure confidential information.

I would like to reduce my full time schedule to 3 days a week. Ideally, I want to work on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from morning to evening, and take class on remaining days. Although, I am happy to remain flexible according to company's management.

I believe these studies would benefit company as much as they benefit me. These skills I gain in securing and protecting data will save employer cost of hiring third party company.

Thank you for considering my request. I would be glad to discuss it with you at your convenience.

Your sincerely ,

Rushi.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explained the reason for your request (pursuing a diploma in Cyber-security), specified your preferred working hours (Friday to Sunday), and articulated the benefits to your employer (cost savings and enhanced data security). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands your position and the value you bring to the company. To reach a higher band, ensure that all parts of the letter are fully expanded with slightly more detail regarding the specific skills you hope to acquire.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter follows a logical structure with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the request, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Although', 'As you know', and 'I believe', which help connect your ideas. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to transition between sentences more smoothly. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall 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 topic-specific terms like 'Cyber-security', 'confidential information', and 'full time schedule'. While the vocabulary is functional and conveys your meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for higher bands. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'effectively useful' which is slightly redundant. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and less common lexical items to express your ideas with greater nuance and professional flair.

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 occur throughout the letter, such as missing articles ('a part-time diploma course', 'the company's management', 'the employer') and minor punctuation errors (e.g., 'Your sincerely ,'). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on article usage and proofreading for small slips will help improve your accuracy and overall control of complex structures.

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

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