Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-11-14

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You work for an international company, and would like to spend six months working in its head office in another country. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

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

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Dear Sir,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to express my concern regarding working at the head office for six months.

The main reason is that it will improve my work skills, which will help our company grow in the future. As you know, over the past few months, our location has been noted for performing well in all tasks, so I feel that when I work at the head office for some time, I will get to know where our location is lacking.

I know that while I am out of town, it is difficult to manage the schedule here, so I already talked to my friend, who is ready to work here instead of me for six months. He recently completed his studies so he can gain some experience.

Also, if you want to arrange someone, then I will feel happier.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Yours sincerely,

jasleen

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.0
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You address the three requested points: you explain that a head-office placement could develop your skills and help identify gaps at your current location, suggest a friend as temporary cover, and ask your manager to help arrange cover. These ideas are relevant, but some are not fully developed. For example, you do not explain what you hope to learn specifically at the head office, and the proposed cover is vague: it is unclear whether your friend is an employee or whether the company could approve him. The request for help is also indirect in “if you want to arrange someone.” State clearly what support or approval you need, and add practical details about how your duties would be handled during the six months.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The letter has a clear overall sequence: it introduces the request, gives a reason, discusses cover, and closes politely. Paragraphing helps distinguish the main ideas, and links such as “As you know” and “Also” guide the reader. However, some connections are mechanical or unclear. “Also, if you want to arrange someone” does not clearly connect to the earlier offer of your friend, and “so” in the first main paragraph joins ideas without fully explaining their relationship. Use more precise transitions and make the progression from your proposed cover to your request for managerial assistance explicit. This would make the letter’s organisation feel more consistently controlled.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary to communicate the main points, including “head office,” “work skills,” “schedule,” and “experience.” The wording is generally understandable, but some choices are imprecise or unnatural for a formal workplace letter. “Express my concern” suggests worry or a problem rather than making a request; “our location” is repeated and could be replaced with “branch” or “office”; and “work here instead of me” is an awkward way to describe temporary cover. Choose more precise workplace expressions, such as “request a six-month placement,” “cover my responsibilities,” and “identify areas for improvement.” This would make the message more professional and specific.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, and several sentences are clear, including “He recently completed his studies so he can gain some experience.” The longer sentence beginning “As you know” also shows an attempt to connect background information with your reason for applying. Some grammatical and punctuation issues remain, though they rarely prevent understanding. In “I already talked to my friend,” the present perfect would fit better when describing a recent conversation relevant now: “I have already spoken to my friend.” The sentence beginning “The main reason is that it will improve my work skills” also has an unclear “it”; name the placement as the subject. Review comma use in longer sentences and vary sentence patterns more confidently.

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