Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-11

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 Mr. Smith,

I writing for a request for reducing my working hours.

I would appreciate if you allow me to persue Project Management course, which is a hybrid six months course. For this reason, I would prefer 20 hours instead of 40 hours per week. These reduced hourse assist me to continue my studies.

Morning hours would be preferable, if it is possible. Since this course includes online and offline classes , which are mostly in evenings. So, please schedule me in the early morning shift, which not only helps me to attend the periods ontime but also allows me time for my assignmnets associated to my studies.

Range of skills such as project planning and communication, whichI would learn from this course, would be beneficial for our firm. As I utilize these set of skills in our future project, which ultimately aid in improving the compnies growth.

I would really appreciate if you condsider this request.

Yours sincerely,

Nardeep Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response7.0
Coherence and Cohesion6.5
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three required points and maintains a clear, polite request. You explain that you want to take a six-month Project Management course, specify a reduction to 20 hours per week, and request early-morning shifts because classes are mostly in the evenings. You also connect the course to the employer’s interests by mentioning project planning and communication skills and their potential contribution to future projects. These ideas are relevant and sufficiently extended to make the purpose clear. To strengthen the response further, make the proposed schedule more precise—for example, state the exact days or start and finish times—and explain more specifically how the new skills could improve a particular aspect of the firm’s work rather than referring generally to company growth.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The information is arranged in a sensible sequence: the request and reason come first, followed by preferred working hours and then the benefit to the employer. Paragraphing helps distinguish these points, and linking expressions such as “For this reason” and “Since” make the relationships between ideas clear. The letter is therefore coherent overall. However, some connections are awkward or mechanical. The sentence beginning “Since this course includes…” is a fragment when separated from the preceding sentence, and “As I utilize these set of skills…” does not connect smoothly to the claim before it. Use complete sentences and clearer transitions, and avoid repeating “which” clauses, to make the progression more natural and cohesive.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the situation, including “Project Management course,” “hybrid,” “project planning,” and “communication,” which helps convey the purpose and workplace relevance. However, the range and control are limited by noticeable spelling errors and imprecise or unnatural combinations, such as “persue,” “reduced hourse,” “attend the periods,” and “companies growth.” These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main message, but they reduce precision and professional tone. Aim to use standard workplace collocations and check spelling carefully. For example, refer to “classes” rather than “periods,” and describe how the skills could “contribute to the company’s growth.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts a mix of simple and more complex structures, including a conditional request (“if it is possible”) and a relative clause describing the skills you would learn. The intended meaning is generally understandable, but errors occur across several sentence patterns. “I writing for a request” is missing the correct verb form, while “I would appreciate if you allow me” needs a more accurate conditional construction. The sentence beginning “Since this course…” is incomplete, and “As I utilize these set of skills…” is also an incomplete dependent clause; there is additionally a number-agreement problem in “these set.” Review verb forms, clause completeness, and agreement, then proofread punctuation and spacing. More accurate control of these structures would make the letter easier to read.

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

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