Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-08

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 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Harmandeep Singh, working as an administrative assistant at your company. I am writing regarding my working hours and would like to reduce them in order to study part-time.

I enrolled at college in a payroll assistant diploma and my schedule requires attendance three days a week. It will not be possible to work seven days a week as I am a single parent.

I recommend that you reduce my hours to 24 hours per week on any day between Thursday and Sunday so that I can work and study both efficiently. Despite this, I can assure you that I will cover my pending work smoothly.

Also, my educational credentials would enhance my skills and contribute towards your organization. As you know, our payroll specialist is retiring soon, , I will be happy to learn new job duties if you insist.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours Faithfully,

Harmandeep Singh

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (enrolling in a payroll diploma), specify the desired hours (24 hours per week between Thursday and Sunday), and describe the benefit to the employer (filling the upcoming payroll specialist vacancy). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a boss. To reach a higher band, ensure that the connection between your studies and the employer's needs is more explicitly linked; for example, you could mention how the specific skills learned in the diploma will allow you to take over the retiring specialist's duties immediately.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task. Cohesive devices such as 'Despite this', 'Also', and 'As you know' are used to link ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. The use of 'Despite this' is slightly awkward in context, as the preceding sentence does not present a contrast that needs to be mitigated. Improving the variety of linking words would enhance the flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'administrative assistant', 'educational credentials', and 'payroll specialist'. The language is generally accurate and appropriate for a professional context. There are a few minor issues, such as the phrasing 'work and study both efficiently', which could be more naturally expressed. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and avoid slightly repetitive phrasing. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly without any significant errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear and grammatically sound. However, there are a few minor errors, such as the double comma in 'retiring soon, , I will be happy' and the slightly awkward phrasing 'I enrolled at college in a payroll assistant diploma', which should ideally be 'I enrolled in a payroll assistant diploma program at college'. Despite these small slips, your control of grammar is good, and the meaning is never obscured. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures would help elevate your score.

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

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