Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-26

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 Manel,

I recently applied to start my master degree at the university of Harvard. My application has been approved. So I am writing to you ask you to reduce my working hours.

My university schdule is very tight, I have to attend universty two times a week and I will have a lot of home-work to do. This is why I need to reduce my working hours.

After analysing my both education and work schadule, I'm convineced that the best planning for me is to be working from sunday To wendsday between 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. In urgent situation I will be availible by phone or online at any time.

I trust this part-time studies would be benefit both my work carrer and our company. As we are planning to participated in more bigger projects I am sure that with my new degree we will be a great add to our team and we will be a more fit for those projects.

Thank you for your time. I am availible for any further information.

Kind rigards.

Lamia

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three required points and maintains a clear, polite request. You explain that your university timetable and homework make reduced hours necessary, specify a proposed schedule, and connect the studies to the company’s future projects. The benefit to the employer is relevant, especially your point that the degree could help the team take on larger projects, though this claim would be stronger with a specific example of skills you expect to gain. The proposed hours are not entirely clear: “from Sunday to Wednesday between 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM” could mean working only on those days, and the wording does not clearly state the reduction from your current schedule. Clarifying this would make the request more precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information follows a clear progression: you introduce the request, explain the study commitment, propose a schedule, and describe the employer’s potential benefit before closing politely. Separate paragraphs help the reader identify each purpose, and links such as “This is why” and “As we are planning” make the relationships between ideas clear. The overall organisation is effective, though some connections could be more precise. For example, the schedule sentence combines the days, hours, and emergency availability, making the proposed arrangement slightly difficult to interpret. A clearer transition into the benefits paragraph and a more direct distinction between regular hours and emergency availability would make the letter flow more smoothly.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use vocabulary relevant to a workplace request, including “reduce my working hours,” “urgent situation,” “available by phone or online,” and “projects.” The tone is generally appropriate and the reader can understand your main points. However, spelling errors and imprecise or unnatural word combinations are noticeable, including “schdule,” “home-work,” “work carrer,” and “a great add to our team.” Some word forms also need attention, as in “part-time studies would be benefit.” These slips limit the accuracy and flexibility of your vocabulary. Proofread spelling and learn common collocations for education and work, such as “pursue a master’s degree” and “an asset to the team,” to express your ideas more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including explanations with “because” implied across sentences and a conditional idea about future projects. Most sentences communicate the intended meaning, but errors in sentence construction and grammatical patterns are frequent enough to reduce accuracy. For example, “I am writing to you ask” needs an infinitive construction (“to ask”), while “I have to attend university two times a week” would be more naturally formed as “twice a week.” In “I trust this part-time studies would be benefit,” the demonstrative, verb form, and sentence structure are not controlled. The schedule phrase “between 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM” also needs a matching pattern: “from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.” Practise these patterns and check articles and verb forms.

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

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