Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-22

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/ Madam,

I would like to inform you about my working hours which is 40 hours per week now, however; I would like to request you to reduce it to part-time because I am planning to pursue a certification course for the next 6 months.

This advanced manual therapy course requires to study at least 15-20 hours weekly online. In addition, it also demads some hands-on practise outside of these academic hours. Thus, in order to fulfill all these requirement, I have to cut my regular hours from the job.

The classes will take place fromThursday to Saturday from 9:00am to 2:00pm followed by practical sessions in the evening. Therefore, I would really appreciate it if I can get hours on starting of the week as workload can be distributed too.

This program includes fundamental principles to more advanced theraputic techniques on research based evidence. So, I strongly believe that this course will refresh my knowledge and skills along with it will help our clients to get the best theraputic experience ever.

I am looking forward to your prompt response.

Yours faithfully,

Bindi Soni

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The candidate has successfully covered all three bullet points required by the task instructions. First, the reason for reducing working hours is clearly explained, stating a plan to pursue a certification course for the next six months. Second, the specific schedule is outlined, mentioning classes from Thursday to Saturday from 9:00am to 2:00pm and requesting hours at the start of the week. Third, the benefit to the employer is described, noting that the advanced therapeutic techniques will refresh the candidate's skills and provide clients with a better experience. The tone is appropriate for a formal business letter, and the purpose is clear throughout the text. The ideas are relevant and sufficiently extended, demonstrating a solid understanding of General Training Task 1 requirements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter exhibits a clear logical organisation and natural progression throughout. The paragraphs are well-structured, moving appropriately from the initial request to the reasons, proposed schedule, and finally the employer benefits. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Thus', and 'Therefore' are employed to link ideas, although there is a slight mechanical feel to their usage at times. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, and referencing throughout the text remains clear. The salutation and sign-off are correctly formatted for a formal letter, ensuring the overall structure remains coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is generally sufficient for the task, allowing the writer to communicate their message with reasonable precision. There are some attempts at less common and topic-specific vocabulary, such as 'certification course', 'manual therapy', and 'therapeutic techniques'. However, there are several spelling errors and typos present in the text, including 'demads', 'practise', 'theraputic' (multiple times), and punctuation or preposition slips such as 'require to study' and 'on starting of the week'. These lexical inaccuracies prevent the score from reaching a higher band, though they do not impede overall communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses effectively, as seen in sentences like 'Thus, in order to fulfill all these requirement, I have to cut my regular hours from the job.' There are some grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as 'working hours which is 40 hours per week now, however; I would like to request you', where the semicolon usage is incorrect, and 'requires to study' instead of 'requires studying'. Despite these persistent errors, the majority of simple sentences are error-free, and the grammatical mistakes do not impede the reader's comprehension.

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

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