Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-11-02
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 6.5)
Dear Paul,
I hope you're doing well. I am writing this letter to express my request to work at the head office located in Japan for six months.
The reason is that I have been working on a project called Healthy Well-Being, and Japan is known for having the highest average age of its population. And luckily, our head office is located in Japan, so it is no better than best to visit Japan for six months to gather facts and information.
On the other hand, in terms of my current responsibilities, like taking care of existing clients and managing the inventory and all, which we can assign to my co-worker Leslie, and I will be always available to help her while I will be out of the country.
I would really appriciate your help to get me approval to work in head office for six months with a visa and valid letter to travel.
Sincerely,
Jay Patel
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5
You address all three requested points: you explain your interest in researching the Healthy Well-Being project in Japan, propose that Leslie take over client and inventory duties, and ask Paul to help secure approval and travel documents. The purpose of the letter is clear and relevant. The explanation of how the project would benefit from time at the head office is promising, but the link between Japan’s older population and the project could be explained more fully. Likewise, saying you will help Leslie while abroad is useful, but you could clarify how you would remain available and manage your own work remotely. These details would make the request more fully developed and persuasive.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5
The letter has a clear overall sequence: opening request, reason for the placement, coverage of your current duties, and a closing request for assistance. Paragraphing helps the reader follow these stages, and phrases such as “The reason” and “On the other hand” signal transitions. However, “On the other hand” suggests a contrast that is not really present, and the repeated use of “and” makes some connections feel mechanical. The long sentence about assigning duties to Leslie also makes the relationship between your responsibilities and your availability less clear. Use more precise transitions and divide that information into shorter, logically connected sentences to strengthen progression.
Lexical Resource: Band 6.0
Your vocabulary is adequate for the purpose and includes relevant workplace terms such as “head office,” “project,” “existing clients,” and “managing the inventory.” You also attempt more specific phrasing, including “gather facts and information,” though this is repetitive and could be expressed more precisely. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural: “it is no better than best” does not convey your intended meaning, and “get me approval” is less idiomatic than a standard request for approval. There is also a spelling error in “appriciate.” More accurate collocations and a slightly wider range of formal workplace language would make the letter sound more natural and professional.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0
You use a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, and the main message remains understandable. The opening and closing sentences are straightforward, while the sentence beginning “in terms of my current responsibilities” attempts to combine several ideas. Some grammatical problems remain, however. The sentence beginning “The reason is that…” is followed by a fragment starting with “And luckily,” and the construction “which we can assign to my co-worker Leslie” does not connect cleanly to the preceding clause. “I will be always available” also has awkward adverb placement, while “while I will be out” uses an unnecessarily repeated future form. Aim for complete sentences and clearer clause structures to improve accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.