Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-06

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 7.5)

Dear John,

I have been working at our company for over 5 years now. These years have been fruitful for the company and for my career growth as well. By growing in my position and leadership, I have inculcated a go-getter attitude. In the spirit of the career growth and pursuing it, I have decided to complete my Masters in Business Administration from the Brown University in New York. To pursue this opportunity, I am formally requesting a transfer from a full-time role to a part-time one to help make time for my university class and assignments.

I have done much deliberation and asking around the office in making sure the transfer of responsibilities and tasks are as smooth as possible, I have found that working the hours of 4 pm to 10 pm EST, works well for me and the team.

I am aware that this change in my work schedule may impact some immediate tasks for the team, but I can assure you that it will be only for a temporary period of 2 years and by pursing my Master's I will come back equipped with more knowledge, expertise and specialized experience which will help the company solve larger issues in the future.

I hope you will consider this request earnestly and support me in my goals.

Thank you,

Vinayak

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain the motivation for reducing hours (pursuing an MBA), specify the requested schedule (4 pm to 10 pm), and articulate the benefits to the employer (gaining specialized knowledge and expertise). The tone is professional and appropriate for a formal request to a supervisor. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. You have maintained a consistent professional stance throughout the correspondence, which effectively fulfills the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the request, which aids readability. You use cohesive devices such as 'To pursue this opportunity' and 'I am aware that' to link ideas effectively. However, the transition between the first and second paragraph could be smoother; the second paragraph starts with a slightly awkward sentence structure regarding the 'deliberation and asking around'. Overall, the progression of ideas is logical, and the paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different requirements of the task.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, using terms like 'fruitful', 'inculcated', 'deliberation', and 'equipped'. These choices are generally precise and appropriate for a formal business context. There is a minor collocation issue in the phrase 'asking around the office in making sure', which sounds slightly informal compared to the rest of the text. However, your ability to use topic-specific vocabulary related to professional development and work scheduling is strong. The language used is sufficiently flexible to convey your message with clarity and a professional tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You use a variety of complex sentence structures, such as 'By growing in my position and leadership, I have inculcated a go-getter attitude.' Most of your sentences are error-free and demonstrate good control over grammar and punctuation. There is a minor grammatical slip in the second paragraph: 'I have done much deliberation and asking around the office in making sure the transfer of responsibilities and tasks are as smooth as possible' is a run-on sentence that would benefit from a semicolon or a full stop. Despite this, the majority of your writing is accurate and easy to follow.

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

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