Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-11

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 Mr.Gong,

I am writing to request to reduce my working hours from October 1st, 2026, as I secured PhD admission at University of Toronto in cement engineering. As I have been working closely with cement and concrete structures for last four years, I was keen to increase my knowledge on these topics.

Firstly, I am currently working 40 hours per week from Monday to Friday. I have enrolled into three classes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, all of them are after lunch time in downtown Toronto. Secondly, I would like you to reduce my hours to 28 hours, I have to leave at noon on my study days. I would continue working on Monday and Friday as normal full hours.

Therefore, I believe this opportunity will increase my knowledge, help me network with people involved in concrete industry and will give me more hands on experience. I have attached my study schedule with addmission offer letter for your reference. Should you require more details/documents, I am happy to assist.

I look forward to hearing back from you.

Yours sincerely,

Klark.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (PhD admission), specify the desired working hours (28 hours), and articulate how the employer will benefit from your studies. The tone is appropriate for a formal business letter. To reach a higher band, you could further develop the final point by explicitly linking your specific cement engineering research to the company's current projects or future goals, which would make the argument more persuasive and professional.

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. You use cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'Secondly', and 'Therefore' to guide the reader. However, the transition between the second and third paragraph could be smoother. Additionally, some sentences are slightly disjointed, such as 'I have to leave at noon on my study days', which could be better connected to the previous clause using a conjunction or relative pronoun to improve the flow of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Terms like 'cement engineering', 'admission', and 'reference' are used correctly. There are some minor issues with collocation and word choice, such as 'secured PhD admission at University of Toronto' (should be 'at the University of Toronto') and 'increase my knowledge on these topics' (better as 'deepen my knowledge of'). While the vocabulary is functional and appropriate for the task, incorporating more sophisticated collocations related to professional development would enhance the overall quality.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'for last four years' (missing 'the') and 'all of them are after lunch time' (a comma splice; should be 'all of which are' or 'all of them are...'). Punctuation is generally clear, though 'Mr.Gong' requires a space. Despite these occasional errors, the meaning is never obscured, and the grammar is consistent enough to maintain a professional tone throughout the letter.

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

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