Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-17
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
- explain why you want to work in the company's head office for six months
- say how your work could be done while you are away
- ask for his/her help in arranging it
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear ................. ,
Student answer (Band 6.0)
Dear manager,
I am writing to you to formally express my interest in working for our company's headquarters which is located in Washington, US. My wife wanted to spend about six months period at my in laws.
Being living in British Columbia, state of Washington is not far from our home but commuting daily across border for work would be a headache. Meanwhile our company also operates in Washington and I would not require separate work authorization as I hold dual citizenship.
On the other hand, my work at British Columbia site could be managed by my assistant whom I been guiding for about a year now. I feel confident in him handling my normal day to day activities.
However, I would still like to have your opinion on capabilities of my assistant and would need your help to arrange something else if you are not fully satisfied in him.
Yours sincerely,
Ranjot Singh
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly state the purpose of the request, explain how your work will be covered by an assistant, and ask for the manager's support. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For example, the explanation regarding your wife and in-laws is slightly irrelevant to a professional request and takes up space that could have been used to better explain the professional benefits of working at the head office. To improve, focus more on how this transfer would benefit the company or your professional development, rather than personal family circumstances.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The letter is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your request. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Meanwhile', 'On the other hand', and 'However' to transition between ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing, such as 'Being living in British Columbia', which disrupts the logical progression. Additionally, the paragraphing is a bit sparse; separating the request, the work coverage plan, and the call to action into distinct, well-developed paragraphs would improve the overall structure and readability of the letter.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to convey your message clearly. You use some appropriate business-related terms like 'formally express my interest', 'work authorization', and 'day to day activities'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'headache' (too informal for a formal letter) and 'satisfied in him' (the correct preposition is 'with'). To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise professional vocabulary and ensure that collocations are used accurately.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'Being living in British Columbia' (should be 'Living in...'), 'whom I been guiding' (missing auxiliary verb 'have'), and 'six months period' (should be 'six-month period'). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not prevent the reader from understanding your request. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of verb tenses will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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