Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-13

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 Sir/Madam,

I am writing to request a reduction in my working hours because I have decided to pursue part-time studies in business management. I believe this course will help me develop new skills and improve my professional knowledge, but I will need some additional time to attend classes and complete my assignments.

Ideally, I would like to work from **9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday to Friday**, instead of my current full-time schedule. I understand that this is a significant change, and I would be happy to discuss a suitable arrangement that causes as little disruption as possible to the team.

I believe that my studies will also benefit the company in the long term. The course will improve my communication, leadership and organisational skills, which I will be able to apply to my current role. In addition, I expect to gain new knowledge that could help me contribute more effectively to projects and take on greater responsibilities in the future.

I would be grateful if you could consider my request. I look forward to discussing this matter with you.

Yours sincerely,

John Jazz

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter fully addresses all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (business management studies), specify the desired hours (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.), and provide a logical explanation of how the employer will benefit from your new skills. The tone is consistently 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, meeting all requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is well-organized with a logical progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a clear focus, moving from the request to the logistics and finally the benefits. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Ideally', and 'because' are used effectively to link sentences and ideas. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the transition between the request and the justification is smooth. There is a clear sense of flow throughout the text, making it very easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a formal business context. Phrases such as 'pursue part-time studies', 'significant change', and 'contribute more effectively' are used accurately. While the vocabulary is functional and precise, it could be elevated further with more sophisticated collocations or less common lexical items to reach the highest band. However, the current usage is natural, accurate, and perfectly suited to the task requirements.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The writing is highly accurate with no noticeable grammatical errors. You use a variety of sentence structures, including complex sentences like 'I believe that my studies will also benefit the company in the long term' and 'I would be happy to discuss a suitable arrangement that causes as little disruption as possible'. Punctuation is used correctly throughout. The control over grammar is excellent, and the writing is error-free, which is indicative of a high level of proficiency.

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

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