Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-31

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 Kristen,

Hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter to request you on reducing my working hours for upcoming two weeks.

Recently, I enrolled myself in the AMI Orientation Course (0-3 years) age group. This course would benefit me helping the children with a better Montessori approach resulting into a smooth and calmer environment.

This is an online course for two weeks from Nov 02 until Nove 19. The timings would be from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm Pacific Time Zone.

I reside an hour and half away from our school and reach home quite late in the evening, after which I apparently will be taking this training. This schedule could be quite hectic and hence I would you request you to reduce my working hours for two weeks from 7:30- 4:30 to 7:30- 2:30 leaving some room for me to study well and gain as much knowledge as possible benefiting the children.

You have always been supportive and kind. Thank you for all you do for the success of the school.

Yours truly,

Yashika Kanabar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three requested points: you explain that the course will help you support children using a Montessori approach, specify the proposed change from 7:30–4:30 to 7:30–2:30, and describe a benefit to the school. The request is clear and the courteous closing suits a letter to a manager. Your explanation of the benefit is relevant, but it is somewhat general: you could show more specifically how the training would improve your classroom practice or support the school’s goals. Also clarify the dates, since “from Nov 02 until Nove 19” appears inconsistent with the stated two-week course. Overall, the purpose is clear and the task is fully addressed, with some ideas that could be developed more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The letter follows a sensible progression: request, reason for studying, course schedule, practical difficulty, proposed hours, and thanks. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and linking expressions such as “Recently,” “This is,” and “hence” guide the reader through the explanation. The main point is easy to follow, though some connections are slightly mechanical or unclear. For example, the course schedule and the long commute are presented in separate statements, then combined in a lengthy sentence beginning “I reside an hour and half away.” A clearer transition explaining how the commute conflicts with the evening classes would strengthen the progression. The final thanks is appropriate, but a brief closing sentence confirming your willingness to discuss the arrangement would make the letter feel more complete.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for a workplace request, including “reduce my working hours,” “Montessori approach,” “hectic,” and “gain as much knowledge as possible.” These choices communicate the situation and intended benefit clearly, and the tone is generally polite. Some expressions are less natural or precise, however: “request you on reducing” is an awkward collocation, “resulting into” is not idiomatic, and “apparently” does not convey the intended meaning of taking the training after arriving home. There is also a spelling error in “Nove.” Aim for more natural professional phrasing and check spelling, especially in dates and course details. This would make your adequate range sound more fluent and controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the explanation beginning “This schedule could be quite hectic and hence…” and the relative clause “after which I apparently will be taking this training.” The overall meaning remains clear, and several sentences are grammatically straightforward. Some errors remain in sentence construction and punctuation. “Hope you are doing well” omits the subject, while “I would you request you” has an incorrect word order. In “I reside an hour and half away,” the article is missing, and the long sentence about the commute and requested hours would be clearer if divided into shorter sentences. Review these patterns and use punctuation to separate the reason from the specific request; greater accuracy across these structures would improve control.

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

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