Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-01

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 8.0)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter to inform you regarding the my working hours. I am a student and I able to work at 24 hours in a week. I am enrolled in a Business management course and it starts at next month.

I would be grateful if you reduce my working hours from 40 hour into 24 hour per week. I would like to work from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, so that I can attend my evening classes and complete my coursework without affecting my job performance.

The knowledge and skills I gain from this course, particularly in project management, leadership, and business communication, will directly benefit our team. I will be able to apply modern management techniques, improve workplace efficiency, and contribute to better decision-making within the department.

I hope you will consider my request and I would be happy to discuss this matter further at your convenience.

Yours sincerely,

Dona.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained the reason for your request (enrolling in a Business Management course), specified the desired working hours (9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday to Friday), and provided a persuasive explanation of how your studies would benefit the employer. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a supervisor. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands both your needs and the value you bring to the company. The response is focused and maintains a professional perspective throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use appropriate cohesive devices such as 'so that', 'particularly', and 'in order to' to link ideas. The progression of information is smooth, moving from the request to the justification and finally to the professional benefits. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different requirements of the task, making the letter easy to navigate.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary suitable for a professional context, such as 'enrolled', 'workplace efficiency', and 'at your convenience'. While the vocabulary is generally accurate and fits the context well, there are minor slips, such as 'inform you regarding the my working hours' (the inclusion of 'the' is unnecessary). However, these minor errors do not impede communication. You successfully use topic-specific terminology related to business and management, which adds a professional tone to your writing. The language is natural and sufficient for the requirements of this task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. However, there are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'I able to work at 24 hours' (should be 'I am able to work 24 hours') and 'starts at next month' (should be 'starts next month'). Additionally, '40 hour into 24 hour' should be pluralized as '40 hours into 24 hours'. Despite these occasional errors, the meaning remains clear throughout the letter. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation and sentence structure is generally good for this level.

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