Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-18

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 Sir/Madam,

I hope all is well with you. The purpose of writing this letter is to request a reduction in my work hours so as to help me concentrate in my studies.

I want my work hours to be cut down because I want to dedicate more time to my part-time studies. I usually get so exhausted after work that when I get to my school I do not concentrate on the lectures. Immediately I get home after school I fall asleep without revising what has been taught in school. Reducing my work hours will help me put in more time to my studies.

I want my work hours to be decreased from ten hours daily to six hours per day. I also do not want to be working on weekends.

Dedicating more time to my school work will help me acquire mental skills like arithmetic and quantatitive reasoning. These skills will be beneficial to the account department and applying what I have learnt in the account department will help generate more profit for the company.

I hope you consider my request. I look forward to a positive response.

Yours faithfully,

Oge Frances.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three requested points and maintain a clear, polite purpose throughout. The reason for the request is supported with a specific explanation: exhaustion after work affects your concentration in lectures and leaves little time for revision. You also state a proposed schedule—six hours rather than ten each day, with weekends off—and connect your studies to potential benefits for the employer through improved quantitative skills and their application in the accounts department. To make the benefits more convincing, explain more precisely how those skills could improve your work, such as supporting accurate financial analysis or reporting. The request is clear and relevant, though this employer-focused point is less developed than your explanation of why you want to study.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter is organised in a clear sequence: you introduce the request, explain your reasons, specify the hours, and then describe a possible benefit to the company. Paragraphing helps the reader follow these separate points, and phrases such as “I also” and “These skills” provide basic links between ideas. The progression is generally easy to understand, but some connections are repetitive or mechanical: the idea of having more time for study is repeated several times, and “These skills” refers broadly to the preceding sentence. You could improve flow by combining repeated points and making the link between your studies and your account-department duties more explicit. The closing is appropriate, although a brief transition into the proposed schedule could make the letter feel more cohesive.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

Your vocabulary is adequate for the purpose and includes relevant expressions such as “reduction in my work hours,” “concentrate,” and “quantitative reasoning.” The tone is suitably formal overall, and the reader can understand your request and its rationale. However, some wording is repetitive or not quite natural: “work hours” and “studies” recur frequently, while “help me concentrate in my studies” is an awkward collocation. There is also a spelling error in “quantatitive.” Aim for more precise workplace and study-related vocabulary, and vary repeated terms where possible. For example, you could describe how further study will strengthen your financial or analytical skills and support your responsibilities in the accounts department.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and more developed sentence forms, and several sentences are clear and accurate, including “I also do not want to be working on weekends” and “I hope you consider my request.” The longer sentences explain cause and effect, helping you communicate the reason for your request. Some grammatical choices are less controlled, however. In “help me concentrate in my studies,” the preposition should be “on”; “from ten hours daily to six hours per day” would be clearer as a parallel comparison, such as “from ten to six hours a day.” The sentence beginning “Immediately I get home” is understandable but would be more natural with “as soon as.” Continue checking prepositions and phrasing in longer sentences while retaining this range of structures.

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

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