Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-22

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, I am writing to request you reschedule my working hours as I enrolled in a short-term advanced communication programme. To begin with, I work in customer service department in your officce five days a week, leaving me with very little time for other activities. As I mentioned earlier about the course, it requires a considerable amount of time to gain adequate knowledge of the subject. Currently, I have been working 12 hours a day, which I would like to reduce to eight hours shift. This, in turn, enables me to divert my focus on studies to understand the essential concepts. If would apreciate it if you could rearrange my work schedule and provide me with alternative options. Furthermore, I would like to assure you that this course will significant enhance with communication skills, which can allow me to create relationship with our customers, because the programme will concentrate the major weak areas that can negatively affect the quality of service. Given these circumstance, I hope you will consider my request at your earliest convenience and take appropriate action to adjust my shift hours. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Your sincerely Parminder Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three requested points: you explain that the course needs study time, request a shorter shift, and describe how improved communication could help customer service. The benefit to the employer is relevant and gives the letter a clear purpose. Your request is also polite and consistent, particularly in “I hope you will consider my request.” To strengthen the response further, develop the proposed schedule more precisely: “reduce to eight hours” does not say which hours or days you would work, although the task asks you to specify them. The explanation of how the course will improve service is useful, but could be supported with a more concrete example of how you would apply the learning with customers.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter follows a sensible progression from the reason for writing, to your current workload and requested change, then to the employer’s benefit and a courteous closing. Connectors such as “To begin with,” “Furthermore,” and “Given these circumstances” help signal these stages. The overall arrangement is coherent, but some links feel mechanical, and the long blocks of text make the separate points less easy to scan. “As I mentioned earlier about the course” also refers to prior information that is not established in this letter, so the reference is unclear. Use distinct paragraphs for the reason, proposed hours, and employer benefit, and make transitions more natural to achieve clearer progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a formal workplace request, including “considerable amount of time,” “adequate knowledge,” and “quality of service.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and the tone is generally appropriate. There are, however, some inaccurate word choices, collocations, and spelling errors that limit precision: “reschedule my working hours” is less suitable than “reduce my working hours,” while “create relationship with our customers” and “concentrate the major weak areas” are not natural expressions. Check spelling and word forms such as “office,” “appreciate,” and “significantly.” More precise workplace and study-related phrasing would make the letter sound more fluent and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a reason clause with “as” and a relative clause beginning “which can allow me.” The main message remains understandable, but some grammatical errors occur in sentence construction, verb forms, agreement, and articles. For example, “If would appreciate it” is missing a subject, and “this course will significant enhance” uses the wrong form after “will.” In “I would like to reduce to eight hours shift,” the sentence needs a clearer grammatical structure and article. Review these patterns and check punctuation around long sentences. Greater accuracy in these areas, while retaining your attempts at complex sentences, would improve control.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.