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 John,

I am writing to inform you that I have decided to follow a part-time course in Business and Finance Administration at the University of Mauritius. I have been waiting for this opportunity and I think now is the right time to start my career in this field.

The course is due to start in September this year and the timing will be from 15.30 p.m to 18.00 p.m on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Consequently, I am requesting you to consider moving me in flexi working hours from 07.30 a.m to 15.00 p.m so that I could attend my class in time. As I am an early arrival, I could be at the office as from 07.30 a.m and I will plan my work schedule accordingly so that during my absence nobody could complain.

Mr John, this course will help me as an Assistant Accountant to understand the concept of business finance in depth and I am convinced that this will benefit the organisation on the management of finance appropriately.

I would really appreciate if you could kindly consider my request and let me know of your decision.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any additional information regarding the course.

Thanking you beforehand.

Best regards,

Faranaz J

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You successfully address all parts of the prompt by clearly explaining why you want to reduce your working hours to pursue a course in Business and Finance Administration, specifying the exact schedule you wish to work, and describing how your studies will benefit your employer in managing finances. Your position and purpose are clear throughout the letter. The ideas are extended and supported, such as when you explain how your early arrival will prevent complaints during your absence. To reach the next level, you could further extend the explanation of how your new skills will directly translate into departmental efficiency, ensuring every bullet point receives fully elaborated support without any slight tendencies to over-generalise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

Your letter demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. You make appropriate use of paragraphing to separate your introduction, explanations of timing, employer benefits, and sign-off. Cohesive devices are employed reasonably well, as seen with transition words like 'Consequently' and referencing phrases. However, cohesion sometimes feels slightly mechanical due to formulaic transitions and repetitive sentence openers. To achieve a higher standard, you could employ a more sophisticated variety of cohesive devices and ensure that referencing between paragraphs flows more naturally and subtly without interrupting the smooth progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common expressions such as 'flexi working hours' and 'in depth'. Communication is clear and your tone is appropriately polite and formal for a workplace request. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'follow a part-time course' instead of 'enroll in' or 'undertake', and 'moving me in' instead of 'moving me to'. To improve, you should focus on more precise lexical choices and natural collocations, which will give your writing greater style and precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You successfully utilise a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating good control over standard structures. For example, your use of conditional and causal clauses like 'so that I could attend my class in time' shows a solid grasp of grammar. There are some minor errors in grammar and prepositions, such as 'from 15.30 p.m to 18.00 p.m' (using 'from' with 'to' when periods are expressed differently, or awkward time prepositions) and 'benefit the organisation on the management', where 'in' would be more accurate. These errors are minor and rarely impede communication. To reach a higher level, you should aim for a wider variety of complex structures with greater overall accuracy.

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