Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-11-02

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 Ms Amilie,

I am writing to you to request for reducing my working hours.

A few days ago during my vacation I received an email from an university that I have applied. In that letter they let me know that I am accepted for studying from October and the standart lessons time is from 9 am to 2 pm. However, I work full-time currently and not able to do my work tasks during that period, therefore I ask you to reconsider my schedule. In addition, I will have to do my homeworks, so I can not stay after a work.

I would suggest visiting the office right after my study. A road from the university to the office takes only half of an hour. I can be at my desk at 3 pm and stay there until 5 pm. I hope it is possible to reschedule my time, so I can work 5 day in a week, but for only 3 hours, without having lunch.

My degree is about computer science, the same area as in the company. I expect the new knowledges I will be able to get will make an impact on quality of doing my work responsibilities. There are a lot programming practice and, indeed, great teachers. I can use new programming skills in my project.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further information.

Yours sincerely,

Anna Numek

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three requested points and maintain a clear, polite request throughout. The reason is explained through your acceptance onto a computer science course and its 9 a.m.–2 p.m. schedule; you also propose working from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on five days, and explain that new programming skills could help with company projects. These details make the letter relevant and purposeful. The benefit to the employer is present but could be developed more specifically: explain how the skills would apply to your current responsibilities or a particular type of project. Also clarify the proposed hours, since 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. does not match the stated three-hour workday.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter has a clear progression: you introduce the request, explain the study schedule, propose working hours, and then describe the potential benefit to the company. Paragraphing supports this sequence, and linking expressions such as “However,” “In addition,” and “therefore” help show relationships between ideas. The closing is also appropriate for a formal letter. Some connections could be made more precise: the sentence about not being able to work during the study period leads into a request to reconsider your schedule, but the exact change is not immediately clear. The proposed hours and the reference to working three hours also create a small inconsistency. State the schedule consistently and use clearer transitions between the reason and your specific proposal.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

Your vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the purpose and key details, with relevant terms such as “full-time,” “computer science,” “programming skills,” and “reschedule.” The tone is generally suitable for writing to a manager. However, several word choices and collocations are noticeably inaccurate or unnatural, including “request for reducing,” “an university,” “standard lessons time,” “new knowledges,” and “quality of doing my work responsibilities.” These do not prevent understanding, but they reduce precision and fluency. Aim to learn common workplace and study collocations as complete phrases—for example, “request a reduction in my working hours” and “improve the quality of my work”—and check spelling and word forms before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including clauses introduced by “that,” “however,” and “so,” and the overall meaning remains understandable. There are nevertheless recurring errors in sentence construction and grammatical forms. For example, “I have applied” needs a clearer construction such as “a university I applied to,” while “I work full-time currently and not able” is missing a verb in the second clause. In “I can be at my desk at 3 pm and stay there until 5 pm,” the structure is sound, but the later reference to working three hours creates a meaning inconsistency. Review articles, auxiliary verbs, and clause structure, and proofread each sentence for a complete subject–verb pattern. Greater accuracy in these areas would make your varied sentences easier to follow.

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

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