Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-16

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

 

You started in your present job two years ago. You now feel it is important for your career development to move to a different department in the same company.

Write a letter to your manager. In your letter

• say what you have learned in your present job
• suggest how the company would benefit from moving you to a different department
• explain why you do not wish to leave the company

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ....................................,

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Dear.......

I'm writing to request a transfer to the sales department from the customer service department for career development.

During my two years in the customer service department, I've learnt handling customer's complaint, communicating with clients professionally, solving problems quickly and working under pressure.

Transferring me to the sales department benefits this organisation because I now understand customer's needs, I know the company products, I know how to communicate confidently with clients due to my daily customer services and moving me to the sales department will save the company time of training a new employee.

I'll rather continue my work here in this organisation than looking for a job elsewhere, as I'm satisfied with the working environment and I value the company culture. I will prefer to continue developing my career in this company and I am committed to contributing to the success of this company.

I look forward to your consideration and hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Natasha

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter covers all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state what you have learned, explain the benefits of your transfer to the company, and express your commitment to the organization. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. However, the development of ideas is somewhat basic. For instance, while you mention that you know the company products, expanding slightly on how this specific knowledge would translate into sales success would have made the argument more persuasive. Overall, the response is relevant and fulfills the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each requirement, and a professional closing. Each paragraph focuses on a single idea, which helps the reader follow your argument. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'During my two years' and 'as I'm satisfied with', to link ideas. However, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and transition phrases to connect sentences more fluidly. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is clear and easy to follow throughout the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your points clearly. Phrases like 'career development', 'working under pressure', and 'company culture' are used correctly. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'I'll rather continue' (should be 'I would prefer') and 'save the company time of training' (should be 'save the company the time required to train'). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, it lacks the sophistication or less common collocations that would push the score into the higher bands. The language is functional and precise enough to avoid any misunderstanding.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'I've learnt handling customer's complaint' (should be 'I have learned to handle customer complaints') and 'I know the company products' (missing 'the' or possessive 'our'). Additionally, there are minor punctuation issues, such as the missing space after the ellipsis in the salutation. Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the mistakes do not impede communication. To improve, focus on verb patterns (e.g., 'learned to handle') and consistent use of articles.

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

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