Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-14

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 or Madam,

I am writing you this letter to request you a little relaxation in my workng hours.

As you know, I have been working with your company from 2 years now. I always tried my best to work in the best interest of the company. Recently, I have been selected for Master's programme in mass communication in evening hours. It will be really hard for me to manage 10 hours of my office along with studies as both have over lapping hours. Therefore, I wanted to request you if you can reduce my working hours.

It will be quite easy for me to work in morning shift starting from 9 in morning till 3 in after noon. These timings will help to attend my classes easily.

I assure you that my studies will not effect my office work. I will do all my duties with same enthusiasm. Moreover, this course will help me and polish me im a much better way for our company as it will explore my abilities of communication which is the pillar of our success.

I hope you will ponder upon my request and allow to make my working schedule flexible.

Yours sincerely

Aiman Irfan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task well. The student clearly explains why they want to reduce their working hours by stating, 'Recently, I have been selected for Master's programme in mass communication in evening hours.' The desired hours are also explicitly stated: 'working in morning shift starting from 9 in morning till 3 in after noon.' Furthermore, the benefit to the employer is adequately described, noting that the course will 'polish me in a much better way for our company as it will explore my abilities of communication which is the pillar of our success.' The tone is appropriately formal for a letter to a boss, and all bullet points are well-addressed with clear extensions, aligning with the Band 7 requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter exhibits a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose: introducing the request, providing reasons and specific hours, explaining company benefits, and a polite closing. Paragraphing is used appropriately and separates ideas logically. Cohesive devices are generally used effectively, such as 'Therefore,' 'Moreover,' and 'As you know,' though referencing and connectors can occasionally feel slightly mechanical (e.g., repeating subject-verb structures across sentences). Overall, the information flows smoothly, making it easy for the reader to follow the writer's argument, placing it comfortably in the Band 7 range.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision, such as 'relaxation in my working hours,' 'enthusiasm,' and 'ponder upon.' There are attempts at less common lexical items, though some word choices and collocations are slightly unnatural, for instance, 'request you a little relaxation' instead of 'request a reduction' or 'adjustment,' and 'workng' (a typo). However, the errors do not impede communication, and the vocabulary is adequate to convey the message clearly, which aligns with the descriptors for Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'It will be really hard for me to manage 10 hours of my office along with studies as both have over lapping hours.' There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures throughout the text, including 'working with your company from 2 years now' (should be 'for 2 years'), 'studies will not effect' (should be 'affect'), and 'allow to make' (missing object, e.g., 'allow me to make'). While these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede communication. The control over punctuation and basic structures is generally good, supporting a Band 6 score.

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

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