Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-27

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 this letter to request about reducing my shifts as I would like to pursue French course part time.

Last week, I was enrolled in B2 level French course at Alliance Frances institute. Thus, I will be attending classes on weekends after 3 pm. Owing to this, I would need off from work on weekends in order to study more effectively.

I can work weekdays as per my previous schedule but I would not be able to continue work on Saturdays or Sundays. So, It is my humble request if you could replace my weekend shifts with any other day.

Furthermore, my French course not only benefit me in my further studies but also It would help in the customer service at our store since majority of our customers speak french. Therefore, It will help me to provide better service to those people.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Yours Sincerely,

Deep Kaur.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three requested points and maintains a clear, polite purpose. You explain that you have enrolled in a B2 French course, specify that you want to stop working weekends while remaining available on weekdays, and connect your studies to improved service for French-speaking customers. These details make the request relevant and supported. The benefit to the employer is clear, although it could be developed further with a specific example of how your language skills would help customers or the store. The requested schedule could also be more precise: “weekdays as per my previous schedule” does not identify exact hours. Overall, the task is fully addressed, with some room to extend and clarify the supporting details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter follows a clear progression: it introduces the request, explains the course and scheduling conflict, proposes an alternative work pattern, and then describes the employer’s benefit. Paragraphing supports this sequence, and links such as “Owing to this,” “Furthermore,” and “Therefore” help show relationships between ideas. The closing is appropriate for a workplace letter. Some connections are slightly mechanical, particularly the repeated use of “Therefore” and “It,” and the shift from the course schedule to the request for replacement shifts could be made more smoothly. For example, a direct transition explaining that weekday shifts would accommodate the weekend classes would strengthen the flow. Overall, the organisation is logical and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a formal workplace request, including “pursue,” “attending classes,” “replace my weekend shifts,” and “customer service.” These choices communicate the main ideas clearly, and the tone is generally suitable. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, however: “request about reducing my shifts” is less natural than “request a reduction in my hours,” and “would need off from work” is not idiomatic. There are also spelling and capitalisation slips in “Alliance Frances,” “french,” and “Sincerely.” These do not prevent understanding, but more accurate collocations and careful proofreading would make the letter sound more fluent and professional.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes both simple sentences and more complex forms, such as “since majority of our customers speak french” and “if you could replace my weekend shifts with any other day.” Meaning remains clear throughout, and the writer attempts to express reasons and consequences using subordinate clauses. Some grammatical errors remain. For example, “my French course not only benefit me” needs subject–verb agreement (“benefits”), while “since majority of our customers” needs an article (“the majority”). The construction “I would need off from work” is also grammatically incomplete; “I would need time off work” is more accurate. Capitalisation and punctuation around “It” also need attention. Greater control of agreement, articles, and sentence construction would improve accuracy.

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