Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-29

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.Ben,

I am writing this letter for your approval for the change in my working hours because I want to learn something new and improve my skills.

I want to reduce my working hours because i have enrolled for a course of Barista. As you know, I love learning new food items at our restaurant. Now, I want to learn making new types of coffee and about coffee machine operation which will help me polish my skills.

For working hours, I would like to work in evening shift as I have to attend classes in morning. I will start my shift from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. from next week. However, I can work for full-time at the weekends.

This course will not only benefit me but also will help us to attract more customers by adding premium coffee on our menu. It will help us to boost our restaurant's sales.

I am looking forward to your positive respoonse.

Yours sincerely,

Ana

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

Ana has successfully addressed all three bullet points required in the prompt. She clearly explains why she wants to reduce her working hours, specifically stating that she has enrolled in a barista course to learn about coffee machine operation and improve her skills. Furthermore, she outlines the exact hours she wishes to work, proposing evening shifts from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., while also offering to work full-time on weekends. Finally, she describes the benefits to her employer, noting that adding premium coffee to the menu will attract more customers and boost restaurant sales. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a boss, although the opening salutation contains a slight punctuation slip. Overall, all parts of the task are well covered and clearly developed, placing this response comfortably in Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter exhibits a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Ideas are logically sequenced, moving naturally from the purpose of the letter and the reasons for reducing hours, to the specific schedule requested, and finally to the benefits for the business. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately, with each paragraph dedicated to a distinct aspect of the request. Cohesive devices such as 'Now', 'However', and 'not only... but also' are used appropriately to connect ideas. However, paragraph transitions are somewhat mechanical and could be smoother to achieve a higher band score. Referencing is generally clear, ensuring the reader follows the progression of the proposal easily.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Ana demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using topic-specific terms such as 'working hours', 'barista', 'restaurant', and 'menu'. She attempts some less common vocabulary items like 'approval', 'polish my skills', and 'attract more customers'. There are a few minor lexical inaccuracies or awkward collocations, such as 'learn making new types of coffee' instead of 'learn to make', and a spelling slip in the closing ('respoonse'). Nevertheless, the vocabulary used is sufficient for flexibility and precision, and the minor errors do not impede communication at all.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating good control overall. Examples of complex structures include '...coffee machine operation which will help me polish my skills' and 'This course will not only benefit me but also will help us...'. There are some minor grammatical errors, such as 'i have enrolled' with a lowercase pronoun, 'work for full-time' instead of 'work full-time', and a minor article omission in 'in evening shift'. Punctuation is generally accurate, and the majority of sentences are clear and grammatically sound. The errors present are non-systematic and do not impede the reader's understanding.

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