Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-09

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 Rose,

I am writing this letter regarding my working hours. From next month onwards i need to reduce my hours to continue my further studies.

As i want to continue my studies in teaching profession and to upgrade my skills i need to enroll myself in post graduation course. I consulted with the counselor of the university, he suggested me to work for part time and this is how i can continue my higher education. He explained me about the course and how studying will be managable while working.

I request you to please change my shift timings from 8 am to 7 am and instead of 8 hours i can work for 6 hours, this is how i can save time for my study in the evening.

I discuss with the teachers in the university about how this will be benficial for me for my ongoing teaching profession, she explained this will upgrade my levels that i need for teaching for higher grades in school.

I hope you will understand and corporate with me with working hours, i look forward hearing from you at the earliest your convenience.

Kind regards

Sara

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You address all three requested points: you explain that further study in teaching motivates the change, request a six-hour shift, and describe how postgraduate study could support teaching higher grades. The purpose is clear and the tone is appropriately polite, with phrases such as “I request you” and “I hope you will understand.” The proposed schedule is not fully clear, however: “from 8 am to 7 am” appears to conflict with the request to work six hours, so specify an unambiguous start and finish time. The benefit to the employer is relevant but could be developed more directly by explaining how your upgraded skills would improve your work or benefit the school.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter has a clear overall arrangement: the opening states the request, the middle paragraphs explain your studies and preferred hours, and the closing seeks a response. Paragraphing helps the reader follow the main points. Some connections are less smooth or precise, though. For example, “I consulted with the counselor of the university, he suggested me…” joins two complete ideas with only a comma, and “this is how” is repeated to connect explanations. The reference in “she explained” is also unclear after mentioning “teachers” in the plural. Use clearer sentence boundaries and linking phrases, and make pronoun references explicit to strengthen the progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use enough vocabulary to communicate the purpose and relevant details, including “post graduation course,” “higher education,” “shift timings,” and “teaching profession.” The language is generally understandable, but several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, which limits precision. For instance, “upgrade my skills” is understandable but “develop my teaching skills” is more natural here, while “corporate with me” does not convey the intended meaning; use “cooperate with me” or “accommodate my request.” There are also spelling errors such as “managable” and “benficial.” Aim for accurate, natural phrases and check spelling, especially in the formal closing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mixture of simple and more complex sentences, including the explanation beginning “As I want to continue my studies…” and the sentence describing the counselor’s advice. The main message remains clear despite some grammatical errors. These include missing or incorrect articles and prepositions (“enroll myself in post graduation course”), an incorrect verb pattern (“he suggested me to work”), and tense or agreement problems (“I discuss with the teachers”; “she explained” after “teachers”). The sentence “I consulted with the counselor of the university, he suggested…” also needs a full stop or a suitable conjunction. Review verb patterns, agreement, and sentence boundaries to make your varied structures more controlled.

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

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