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 Mr Smith,

I am writing this letter because I want to reduce my working hours so I can focus on my studies.

I would like to explain that recently I had passed a really tough exam, and I will start my classes next week. Due to this, I could not be present at the company all the time. That is why I want to reduce my working hours.

However, I have lactures at weekends. Moreover, I am available from Monday to Friday. I am really hardworking employee of department as well as I am a manager who play an important role.

Lastly, my studies will be benificial for you as I am studying Master's in Business Administration mainly in finance. I believe that after my course I can move to higher department in the company.

I would like to hear from you as soon as possible.

Thank you for your valuable time.

Yours faithfully,

Sarbjit kaur.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student covers all three bullet points required in the task instructions. The reason for reducing working hours is explained by mentioning an upcoming part-time study commitment, though the description of the desired working hours contains a slight contradiction regarding weekends. The benefit to the employer is also addressed, noting that the MBA studies in finance will help the writer move to a higher department. Ideas are generally clear and relevant, meeting the basic requirements of the task. However, the development of some points lacks depth, placing it squarely within the Band 6 descriptor where all parts are addressed, but some are slightly under-developed or unclear.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement with standard letter formatting and a clear logical progression from the opening statement to the closing remarks. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate individual points, such as the reason for writing, the proposed hours, and the employer benefits. Cohesive devices are employed, although some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive, such as the use of 'however' and 'moreover' which disrupt the natural flow. Referencing is generally clear, but the logical link between working weekends and availability Monday to Friday requires closer reading. This fits the Band 6 profile well.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms like 'working hours', 'finance', and 'manager'. There are several spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'lactures' instead of 'lectures', 'benificial' instead of 'beneficial', and 'hardworking employee of department' which lacks an article. Furthermore, phrasing like 'higher department' is somewhat unnatural compared to 'higher position' or 'senior role'. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they demonstrate limitations that restrict the score to Band 5.0 or 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writing features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'I am writing this letter because I want to reduce my working hours so I can focus on my studies.' There are several grammatical errors and awkward structures, including tense issues like 'recently I had passed' instead of 'recently passed' and missing articles ('play an important role' should be 'plays'). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while the errors occasionally cause minor reader strain, they rarely impede overall communication. This performance aligns closely with the Band 6 descriptors for grammatical range and accuracy.

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.