Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-14

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 Taja,

I hope this letter finds you well ! I am writing to you in regards of seeking your approval to minimise my working hours due to my part-time studies.

I enrolled in a short term Project management course at the university of Toronto. The course will start on August 15th and likely to end on 20th of December. Therefore, I would request you to reduce my working hours. This would allow me much more time to attend my classes. I am very certain that this course will help me to foster my career growth personally and professionally.

Since the course will start at 8 AM to 12PM. I would like to start my work at 1 PM TO 6 PM with your given permission and if necessary I would also like to do overtime without the extra pay.

However, I am certainly confident that this course would enormously help my individual and company growth to streamline the process and take the appropriate decisions during the complex situations.

I am looking for your favourable response.

Yours sincerely,

Anjali Reddy

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained the reason for the request (part-time studies), specified the desired working hours (1 PM to 6 PM), and described the benefits to the employer (streamlining processes and better decision-making). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands both the logistical changes and the value proposition for the company. The letter maintains a consistent, professional purpose throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the request, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use some cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'However', and 'Since', which help connect your ideas. To reach a higher band, ensure that your paragraphing is more distinct; currently, the transition between the request for hours and the benefits to the company could be smoother to avoid a slightly fragmented feel in the middle section.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary, using terms like 'foster my career growth', 'streamline the process', and 'favourable response'. There are some minor collocation issues, such as 'in regards of' (should be 'in regard to' or 'regarding') and 'minimise my working hours' (while understandable, 'reduce' is more natural in this context). Despite these minor slips, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning precisely and professionally. You successfully use topic-specific language related to business and education.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. There are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'likely to end' (missing the verb 'is': 'is likely to end') and 'Since the course will start at 8 AM to 12PM' (the preposition 'from' is needed: 'from 8 AM to 12 PM'). Additionally, there is a minor punctuation error with the space before the exclamation mark in the opening. However, these errors do not impede communication, and your control over complex sentence structures is generally good.

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

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