Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · 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 6.5)

Dear Sir Mueen Awais,

I am writing to inform you that I wish to 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 ensuring 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 major 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 soon.

Yours sincerely,

Alex Hail

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all parts of the prompt in a clear and appropriate letter format. You fully explained why you want to reduce your working hours by stating your intention to study digital marketing. You also clearly outlined your desired schedule, proposing 24 hours per week across specific days and times. Furthermore, you explained how your part-time studies would benefit your employer by mentioning how your new skills will help improve the company's social media pages and attract more customers. All bullet points from the instructions are thoroughly addressed with relevant and well-developed ideas, fulfilling all the requirements of Band 7.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving smoothly from the opening statement of purpose to the scheduling details, the benefits to the employer, and finally the polite closing. Paragraphing is used appropriately. Cohesive devices are handled well, such as 'To balance my work responsibilities...' and 'This schedule will allow me...', which helps guide the reader through the text seamlessly. Referencing is clear, and the overall progression is easy to follow, earning a solid Band 7 rating.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

Your vocabulary choice is adequate and appropriate for a semi-formal workplace request. You use a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your ideas with precision, such as 'balance my work responsibilities', 'busiest workdays', and 'digital marketing'. There are occasional attempts at less common phrasing, such as 'attract more customers' and 'work more efficiently'. While the vocabulary is largely standard rather than advanced, it is used accurately and successfully communicates your meaning without any noticeable errors, fitting comfortably into the Band 6 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response features a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I am writing to inform you that I wish to reduce my working hours because I want to study...' and 'This schedule will allow me to attend my university classes on Mondays and Fridays while ensuring about I am present during our busiest workdays.' There is a minor grammatical slip near the end of the second paragraph with the extra preposition ('ensuring about I am present'), but your control of grammar is generally strong. Punctuation and sentence construction are clear, and errors do not impede communication, demonstrating the characteristics of Band 7.

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

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