Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-15

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 Kashif,

I hope this letter finds you well.

I have been working in this company as a marketing manager for two years. Now, I want to study part time and for that I want to reduce my working hours because current working hours unable me to study part time. I believe that B.B.A. (Hons) degress alone is not adequete for my future growth which is why I want to do MBA in Marketing.

Currently, I am working six days in a week from 9.00 a.m. till 5.00 p.m. Since I want to continue my work as well so I am planning to take admission in evening classes. My expected classes timing will be from 5.00 to 8.00 p.m. So I would like to work from 9.00 a.m. till 2.00. p.m.

I believe that my part time studies will also be beneficial for the company. MBA in marketing will teach me new marketing trends and tactics which combining with my experience facilitate the company. So, it will be mutually benefited us. I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you in advance.

Yours sincerely,

Zara Shaikh.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three requested points and maintains a clear, appropriate purpose. You explain that your current hours prevent you from studying and give a specific reason for choosing an MBA in Marketing: your existing degree is not enough for your future growth. You also state your current schedule, the evening class times, and the hours you would prefer to work. The benefit to the employer is relevant, as you say the course will teach you new marketing trends and tactics that can be combined with your experience. This point is clear but could be developed further with a concrete example of how the new knowledge might improve a campaign or support the team. Overall, the key ideas are extended, though the employer benefit remains somewhat general.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter follows a clear progression: you introduce your request and its reason, explain the proposed schedule, then describe the benefit to the company before closing politely. Paragraphing helps the reader distinguish these points, and linking phrases such as “Since I want to continue my work as well” and “So” make the relationships between ideas understandable. The sequence of current hours, class times, and requested hours is especially easy to follow. Some connections are less smooth, however: “So, it will be mutually benefited us” does not clearly express the intended conclusion, and repeated use of “So” makes the linking slightly mechanical. A more precise transition and a clearer reference to the mutual benefit would make the cohesion more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a workplace request, including “reduce my working hours,” “future growth,” “evening classes,” and “marketing trends and tactics.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and the tone is generally suitable for writing to a manager. There are some inaccurate word forms, spelling errors, and collocations that limit precision: “degress” and “adequete” are misspelled, while “classes timing” and “mutually benefited us” are not natural expressions. “Facilitate the company” is also vague in this context. Aim to use more precise workplace language and check spelling and collocations so that your intended meaning sounds natural as well as clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as “I believe that…” and the explanation beginning “Since I want to continue my work as well…”. Most of the message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect accuracy. In “because current working hours unable me to study,” the clause needs a subject and a correctly formed verb; “because my current working hours prevent me from studying” would be clearer. “I am working six days in a week” also needs a more accurate preposition, and “So I would like to work from 9.00 a.m. till 2.00. p.m.” has awkward punctuation around the time. Review articles, verb patterns, and sentence construction, while retaining the useful variety of structures already attempted.

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