Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-29

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 Mr. Brown,

I am writing this letter to request a slight reduction in my working scheme because I would like to enroll in a part time course.

Four days ago, I enrolled in a project management course named PMP (Project Management Professional) to enhance my management skills and my expertise in projects. However, since the cause starts daily at 5 pm, I wasn't capable of attending the cause in time because, as you know, I finish work at 6 pm. Therefore It would make my daily scheme much easier and more effective if you allow me to work 2 hours less than usual for the rest of the month, and to fullfill my duties towards the company I will cover it by working additional hours during the nest month.

Additionally, this course is particularly beneficial for our company because it teaches me new and effective management theories and work organization tips; skills that I will develop myself with and hand it over to my collegues and subordinates in order to enhance our team productivity.

Counting on your conprehention and support, I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Iheb Hassine

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter addresses all three requirements and maintains a clear, appropriate request. You explain that you enrolled in a project-management course and cannot attend because it starts before your workday ends; you also propose working two fewer hours and making up the time the following month. The benefit to the employer is relevant, with reference to improved management knowledge and sharing skills with colleagues. These points are extended enough to support the request, although the proposed schedule is not fully specific: “2 hours less than usual” does not say which hours you would work, and the make-up arrangement could be clearer. Giving exact working hours and a more precise repayment plan would make the proposal more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The message follows a logical progression: it states the request, explains the course and scheduling conflict, proposes a solution, and then describes the employer’s benefit. Paragraphing helps distinguish the main purposes, and links such as “However,” “Therefore,” and “Additionally” guide the reader through the argument. The long second paragraph, though, combines the course details, the requested change, and the make-up arrangement in one sentence, making the proposal harder to follow. The final benefit sentence also carries several ideas at once. Separating these into shorter sentences or paragraphs, and making references such as “it” and “this” more explicit, would make the organisation smoother and cohesion less noticeable.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a workplace request, including “reduction,” “enhance my management skills,” “beneficial,” and “team productivity.” These choices communicate the main ideas, and the course-related language is relevant. However, several inaccurate or unnatural choices reduce precision: “working scheme” and “daily scheme” are not natural ways to describe a work schedule, while “cover it” is unclear in the context of making up hours. There are also spelling errors, including “fullfill,” “collegues,” and “conprehention.” Aim for accurate workplace collocations and proofread spelling; this would make the vocabulary more natural and controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The letter includes both simple and complex sentence forms, such as the explanation beginning “since the course starts daily at 5 pm” and the clause describing how you will share what you learn. The meaning is generally clear, and the request is understandable despite some grammatical and punctuation errors. For example, “Therefore It” needs a comma after the linking adverb and a lowercase pronoun, and “if you allow me to work 2 hours less … and to fulfill my duties” has an awkwardly joined structure. The sentence beginning “skills that I will develop” is also not fully integrated with the preceding clause. Use shorter, well-controlled sentences for the proposal and check clause structure, capitalization, and punctuation.

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