Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-16

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 or Madam,

I am writing this letter to request some time off of my work so that I can focus on my education. As I have my exams coming up in two months, I have to take a short course of classes for the subject's I am finding most difficulty with. It will surely help me do better in my tests.

My classes start early in the morning i.e. from 6AM- 2PM. However, I can come to work and cover my shift from 2:30 PM - 5PM, during the afternoon hours.

My part-time studies may provide you some vacancy for other staff members to do my part of the work and get some hands-on work experience as well. You can even go ahead and sponsor free internships to other juniors in my position for a month or two. It will be beneficial for both of us.

Please get back to me whenever you get this mail. Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Uroosa

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The candidate addresses all three bullet points required in the task instructions. First, the reason for reducing working hours is explained clearly (preparing for upcoming exams and taking a short course). Second, specific preferred working hours are proposed (2:30 PM to 5 PM). Third, the benefits to the employer are described, suggesting that the vacancy created can offer hands-on experience or internships to other junior staff. However, the tone and content of the third bullet point are slightly unusual or confused regarding company operations, as an employee would rarely suggest sponsoring free internships to replace themselves. Despite this slight lapse in professional appropriateness, all parts of the prompt are covered, and a clear purpose is maintained throughout. Therefore, the response fulfills the requirements for Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement with clear paragraphing, separating the introduction, the specific request for hours, the business justification, and the closing. However, the logical progression is occasionally hindered by abrupt transitions and mechanical cohesive devices. For instance, phrases like 'My classes start early in the morning i.e. from 6AM- 2PM' directly contrast with the subsequent sentence without smooth transitional links. Additionally, referencing is sometimes unclear, such as the ambiguous connection between the candidate's absence and the proposed internships for other staff members. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, but the overall flow aligns well with the descriptors for Band 6.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to communicate basic ideas clearly. There are attempts to use less common items and workplace-related terminology, such as 'hands-on work experience', 'sponsor', and 'vacancy'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, most notably in the opening sentence ('time off of my work' instead of 'reduction in my working hours' or 'time off work') and 'the subject's I am finding most difficulty with' (inappropriate apostrophe usage). The vocabulary is sufficient for communication, but spelling and word-choice errors place it firmly at Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing conditional structures and subordinate clauses ('As I have my exams coming up...', 'so that I can focus...'). There are several grammatical errors and punctuation inaccuracies present, such as 'time off of my work', 'the subject's' (incorrect possessive apostrophe), and inconsistent spacing in time ranges ('6AM- 2PM'). Furthermore, 'whenever you get this mail' is slightly informal for a professional letter to a boss. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the writing from achieving a higher band score, making Band 6 an appropriate rating.

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.