Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-18

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 Mr Sharma,

I am writing this letter to request regarding to reduce my working hours from full-time to part-time because I am planning to join a short-term course in a nearby university.

I am currently seeking better career opportunities and would like to grow within the company. My main goal is to move into the corporate sector, where French is often required as an additional language. This would not only help me to secure a better position, but also I can assist our current customers.

I start my work early in the morning at 10 AM till 7 PM, from Monday to Friday, and my course requires me to be present 4 hours a day from 11 AM to 2 PM because french high-classified instructor is available during this time only. So, I would like to reduce my hours and can start my work after 2 PM till store closing, which is 7 PM.

This will bring a huge benefit to our team because everyday we deal with tourists coming from different countries. Recently, there were a lot of individuals were here from France. This will be beneficial as we can engage more customers, which could increase our sales overall.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Gaurav

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have fully covered all bullet points required by the task prompt. You clearly explained why you want to reduce your working hours, stating your plan to join a short-term French course for career development. You specified the exact hours you would like to work, proposing a shift from 2 PM until store closing at 7 PM. Furthermore, you effectively described how your part-time studies would benefit your employer by explaining that you will be able to assist French tourists and engage more customers to increase overall sales. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a boss. Overall, this demonstrates a clear understanding of the task requirements and addresses all necessary aspects successfully, fitting comfortably within the Band 7 level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

Your letter shows a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. You make effective use of paragraphing, with each paragraph serving a distinct purpose such as stating the purpose of the letter, explaining your schedule, and outlining the benefits to the company. Cohesive devices are used reasonably well, such as 'Furthermore' and 'This will bring a huge benefit', although there are occasional minor slips in referencing, such as 'Recently, there were a lot of individuals were here from France', which is slightly awkward. Overall, the message flows smoothly from one point to the next, making it easy for the reader to follow your argument and request. This performance aligns well with Band 7 descriptors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, allowing for some precision and flexibility. Phrases like 'career opportunities', 'corporate sector', and 'engage more customers' show a good command of appropriate workplace language. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as writing 'request regarding to reduce', which should be 'request a reduction in' or simply 'request to reduce'. Additionally, terms like 'french high-classified instructor' are unnatural and imprecise. Despite these occasional vocabulary errors, communication is never impeded, and your range is adequate to convey your ideas clearly. This corresponds to a solid Band 6.5 or 6.0 performance, rounded appropriately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, successfully using subordinate clauses such as 'because I am planning to join a short-term course' and 'which is 7 PM'. However, there are several noticeable grammatical errors throughout the text. For instance, the opening sentence contains a structural error ('request regarding to reduce'), and another sentence awkwardly links clauses with '...better position, but also I can assist...'. There is also a tense and agreement slip in 'there were a lot of individuals were here'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent you from reaching a higher band. Your control of grammar is generally adequate for a Band 6.

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

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