Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-17

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 Mueen Awais,

I am writing to inform you that if I can reduce my working hours because I want to study a part-time course starting next month.

To balance my work responsibilities and my studies, I would like to reduce my schedule to 24 hours per week. I propose working on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This schedule will allow me to attend my university classes on Mondays and Fridays while to make it ensure about, I am present during our busiest workdays.

I believe this course will bring benefits to our company. I will study digital marketing, which will help me improve our company's social media pages and attract more customers. The skills I learn will help me work more efficiently and support our team better.

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Alex hail

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. The writer clearly explains the reason for reducing working hours, stating 'I want to study a part-time course starting next month.' The specific hours requested are outlined in detail, proposing '24 hours per week' on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Furthermore, the benefit to the employer is well described through the study of digital marketing, which will 'help me improve our company's social media pages and attract more customers.' The tone of the letter is appropriately formal and professional throughout. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, fully satisfying the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organised with a clear beginning, middle, and end, following a standard correspondence structure. Ideas flow reasonably well from explaining the situation to proposing the schedule and outlining company benefits. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different points, such as the scheduling details and the business rationale. However, there are some minor lapses in cohesion, such as the awkward transition in the second paragraph ('while to make it ensure about, I am present during our busiest workdays'), which feels slightly clunky. Despite this, the overall progression is clear, and referencing is generally effective, meeting the criteria for a solid score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task and successfully communicates the writer's message. The student attempts some less common and topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'responsibilities,' 'digital marketing,' and 'efficiently.' However, there are some awkward lexical choices and phrasing, notably 'if I can reduce my working hours because I want to' and 'to make it ensure about,' which demonstrate a lack of precision in collocation and word choice. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede overall communication. A wider variety of sophisticated synonyms would be needed for a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including conditional and subordinate clauses like 'This schedule will allow me to attend my university classes on Mondays and Fridays...' However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward structures present, such as 'I am writing to inform you that if I can reduce my working hours because I want to study...' which contains a redundant clause, and 'while to make it ensure about, I am present,' which is grammatically confused. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors occur, they rarely impede communication, placing the response firmly in the Band 6 category.

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

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