Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-07

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 6.0)

Dear sir,

I am writing to request a reduction in my working hours because i would like to study part time alongside my job.

At present, i work fulltime, but i have recently enrolled in part time course to improve my professional knowldge and skills. Therefore, i would appricateit if i could reduce mt working hours so that i have enough time to attend my classes and complete my assignments.

Idealy, i would like to work from 9.00am to 3.00pm Monday to Friday. I believe these hours would allow me to make balance between study and work.

I belive that my study will help for employer as well, This course will help me develope my communication skills, time managrment, problemsloving, and organisation skills as well.which i will apply on daily life at workpalce.

I would be grateful if consider my request and reduce working hours that really help me alot.

yours faithfully,

Raman

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three requested points: you explain that you have enrolled in a course to improve your professional knowledge, propose working from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, and describe possible benefits to your employer. The purpose of the letter is clear and the request is relevant. The employer-benefit point is less fully developed, however: you list communication, time-management, problem-solving and organisational skills, but do not explain how these would improve your work or benefit the organisation. The reason for studying is also quite general. To strengthen the letter, add a specific link between the course and your current duties, and briefly explain how the proposed schedule could be managed without disrupting work.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall sequence: request and reason, proposed hours, benefits, and a closing request. Paragraphing helps distinguish these points, and connectors such as “Therefore” and “At present” make some relationships clear. However, progression within the benefits paragraph is less smooth: the list of skills is followed by “which i will apply” without a clear sentence structure, and “as well” is repeated. The final request also combines several ideas awkwardly, making the intended action less clear. Use complete sentences to connect each benefit to your work, and make the closing request a concise, separate sentence. More precise referencing and less mechanical linking would make the letter easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant vocabulary for the situation, including “reduction in my working hours,” “enrolled,” “assignments,” and “communication skills.” These choices make the main message understandable. However, spelling errors and inaccurate word forms are noticeable, including “knowldge,” “appricateit,” “Idealy,” “develope,” and “organisation skills.” Some combinations are also unnatural, such as “help for employer,” “make balance,” and “problemsloving.” These issues limit precision and can make parts of the letter harder to read. Build accuracy by checking spelling and learning common collocations for workplace benefits, such as “benefit my employer” and “maintain a balance between work and study.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and some longer structures, including “because i would like to study part time alongside my job” and “so that i have enough time to attend my classes and complete my assignments.” This shows an attempt to express reasons and purposes, and the main message remains understandable. Some grammatical and punctuation errors persist, however. In “I would be grateful if consider my request,” the conditional clause needs a subject and verb, such as “if you would consider my request.” The sentence beginning “This course will help me…” becomes incomplete after the list, and “which i will apply” is not correctly attached. Capitalisation of “I” and sentence boundaries also need attention. Practise complete clauses and review punctuation in longer sentences.

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

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