Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-05

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. Smith,

I hope you are doing great. I am writing to express my concern to reduce my working hours because I am going to pursue part-time studies from next month.

I would like to inform you that I have decided to study further which is significant for my career perspective. In would not be able to perform well along with my full- time commitment with the company. I enrolled myself for the 6 months marketing course as it always fascinate me. Moreover, it will foster my confidence and skills which are essential in today's digital era.

Furthermore, I will be attending university every Monday as well as Tuesday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. Consequently, I have to take off during those days from my job. Hence, I would like to decrease my working hours from 40 per week to 24. I will fulfill my workforce responsibilities on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Eventually, owing to it, I will be able to concentrate better on my course.

Although my part- time studies will surge my knowledge, but it would also facilitate our business in numerous ways. Primarily, I would be able to contribute in the acheivements on our enterprise. Secondly, as our marketing manager is going oversees for few months next year, I would be able to cover her. It will save time for outsourcing a person. Finally, I have been working with our customers as a salesperson. Hence, I am familiar with their need, which will help me to pitch marketing techniques accordingly.

I hope you would consider my request. I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Amandeep Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The response successfully covers all parts of the prompt, earning a strong score. You clearly explain your motivation for wanting to reduce your working hours to pursue part-time studies, specify the exact days and hours you intend to work, and outline the specific benefits your employer will gain, such as helping out when the marketing manager goes overseas. A clear and appropriate semi-formal tone is maintained throughout the letter. While all bullet points are addressed, some ideas, such as how the studies will benefit the business, could be slightly more elaborated and extended to fully reach the top tiers. Nevertheless, your purpose is stated transparently, and the position remains clear and consistent from beginning to end.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

Your letter shows a clear logical organisation and progression from start to finish. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving smoothly from the initial request to the schedule details, business benefits, and a polite sign-off. You make effective use of cohesive devices to guide the reader through your arguments, such as 'Furthermore', 'Consequently', and 'Primarily'. Paragraphing is handled appropriately, ensuring that each topic is cleanly separated. Although cohesion is generally managed well, a few transitions feel slightly mechanical, and referencing could be more seamlessly integrated in places. Overall, the logical flow is easy to follow and meets the requirements for a well-structured letter.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully attempting less common items such as 'concern', 'persevere', and 'out-sourcing', though there are some inaccuracies in word choice, form, and spelling. For instance, writing 'concern' instead of 'desire' or 'intention' affects precision, and there are minor spelling errors such as 'fascinate' instead of 'fascinated', 'oversees' instead of 'overseas', and 'acheivements'. Collocations are mostly acceptable, but occasional awkward phrasing, such as 'surge my knowledge', highlights an emerging control of style. These errors do not impede communication, but eliminating them and using more natural phrasing will help elevate your lexical score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures throughout the letter, successfully employing subordinate clauses and varied time expressions like 'Although my part-time studies will surge my knowledge, but it would also facilitate...'. There are some noticeable errors in grammar and punctuation, including tense inconsistency and an unnecessary double connector ('Although... but...'), as well as minor preposition and article slips. However, these errors rarely impede communication and your meaning remains clear. A greater variety of error-free complex sentences and tighter control over punctuation and conjunctions will help you secure a higher level in this area.

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