Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-01

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 ...................,

Hope you are doing well.

I am writing to request working reduced hours as I will be busy studying a course for the next two weeks. I would like to be a certified ISO 9001 Lead Auditor and accordingly I need to pass the certification exam.

I would appreciate it if I worked from eight to ten in the morning, because after this I would need to go attend the preparation course. If there are any remaining tasks, I will ensure completing them in the evening after the course attendance hours.

This certification will be significantly beneficial for the company as I will be able to audit potential subcontractors prior to contracting with them. As a certified Lead Auditor, I will also audit suppliers to ensure our supply chain works effectively and efficiently.

I look forward to receiving your reply and will highly appreciate it if you approve my above mentioned request.

Kind Regards,

Olivia.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all parts of the prompt, addressing why the reduction in hours is needed, specifying the preferred schedule, and explaining how the studies will benefit the employer. However, some areas are slightly under-developed or touch upon minor inconsistencies; for instance, stating that the course lasts for 'the next two weeks' contrasts with taking ongoing part-time studies to become a certified lead auditor, which typically requires a longer commitment. The purpose and benefits to the company are clearly communicated in the third paragraph regarding supply chain auditing. To reach the next level, the ideas would need more thorough expansion and absolute internal consistency throughout all points.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical structure appropriate for a formal request. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, beginning with the salutation and opening, moving to the request and schedule, detailing the company benefits, and ending with a polite sign-off. Cohesive devices are used adequately, such as 'Accordingly' and 'As a certified Lead Auditor', although referencing and transitions feel slightly mechanical at times. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate distinct points. To achieve a higher band, the progression between ideas could be smoother and more sophisticated, avoiding slightly abrupt shifts between sentences.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task and attempts less common lexical items such as 'certified ISO 9001 Lead Auditor' and 'subcontractors'. There are occasional slight awkwardnesses in word choice and collocation, such as 'busy studying a course' instead of 'taking a course' or 'studying for a qualification', and 'go attend' instead of 'attend'. Nevertheless, spelling is accurate and these minor lexical slips do not impede communication. To move up to a higher band, a wider and more flexible range of sophisticated vocabulary with greater precision in collocation is required.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing structures like conditional clauses ('If there are any remaining tasks, I will ensure completing them...') and purpose clauses. There are some errors in grammar, such as 'ensure completing' instead of 'ensure that I complete' or 'ensure completion of', and missing articles or prepositions in places. However, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication, allowing the meaning to remain clear throughout. For a higher score, the student would need to display a wider variety of complex structures with a much higher frequency of entirely error-free sentences.

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.