Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-21

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 or Madam,

I am writing this letter to request you to reduce my working hours, as I am planning to enroll in Digital marketing online course for 6 months starting from 1 oct 2026.

As the course expect me to be present on online classes which will be scheduled in the evening from 6 pm to 9 pm, this will overlap my current working hours which are 10 am to 6 pm. I request you to grant me permission to leave office 2 hours early, as I will require atleast 1 hour for commute to reach my home. However, I can work full-time on weekends and even over-time if required to finish my project dead line, as my classes will be on week days.

I can assure you that this will not affect my current job commitment and work efficiency. On contrary, this course allines with my work profile of e- commerce which will help me to generate better leads, marketing stratergies and improve companies online pressence.

Thank you for your understanding and I will be waiting for your response.

Yours Sincerely

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The student has successfully covered all parts of the prompt in their letter. They clearly explained why they want to reduce their working hours by mentioning the online digital marketing course starting in October 2026. They specified the exact hours they wish to work, proposing to leave two hours early and compensate with weekend or overtime work. Furthermore, they outlined the benefits to the employer, noting how the course aligns with e-commerce responsibilities to improve leads, strategies, and online presence. The tone is appropriately formal and polite for a workplace request. Ideas are well-developed and the task is fully addressed, satisfying the requirements for a Band 7.5 to 8.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter exhibits a clear logical progression from stating the purpose of the letter to detailing schedule adjustments and business benefits. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, such as the course details, the schedule changes, and the employer benefits. Cohesive devices are generally handled well, using transition markers like 'However' and 'On contrary' to connect ideas, though the latter contains a minor prepositional slip. Referencing is clear throughout, making the overall arrangement coherent and easy to follow. This aligns well with the descriptors for a Band 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'e-commerce', 'work profile', 'work efficiency', and 'job commitment'. There are some minor lexical and spelling inaccuracies, such as 'allines' instead of 'aligns', 'stratergies' instead of 'strategies', and 'pressence' instead of 'presence'. Despite these occasional spelling errors, the vocabulary used is precise enough to convey the intended meaning without impeding communication. This performance fits comfortably within the Band 6.5 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including conditional and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'as I am planning to enroll...', 'if required to finish my project dead line'). There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings present, such as 'request you to reduce' instead of 'request a reduction', 'expect me to be present on online classes' instead of 'in', and 'atleast' (at least). Punctuation and capitalization also show minor slips (e.g., '1 oct 2026', 'dead line'). However, these errors do not impede overall communication, reflecting the characteristics of a solid Band 6.0.

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

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