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 Sir,

I am writing you this letter to request you to decrease my working hours as I am planning to take the CAT exam for my masters.

I had been planning to study further to improve my skills and gain more knowledge in the field of mathematics for some time, hence I have decided to pursue my passion for finance by taking the first step.

I would request you to reduce my shift timings to from 8 hours evening to 6 hours early morning so that I can utilize my time to prepare for the exam. I can assure you that this would not affect my performance.

This would be beneficial for both of us since my masters in finance would contribute towards the company's growth and success. I am looking forward to taking on greater responsibility to share my knowledge with the team and help managing the finance department post my exam.

Yours sincerely,

Ram

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (pursuing a master's in finance), specify the desired shift change (from 8 hours evening to 6 hours early morning), and articulate the benefits to the employer (contributing to company growth and sharing knowledge). The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a supervisor. The ideas are relevant and sufficiently developed to meet the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the prompt. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the request to the justification and finally the benefits. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'hence', 'so that', and 'since' to link your ideas. While the structure is sound, the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words or transition phrases to connect sentences more fluidly, which would elevate the coherence of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'pursue my passion', 'utilize', and 'contribute towards'. There are no significant spelling errors, and the word choices are generally accurate and appropriate for a professional context. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate more precise collocations or less common vocabulary related to professional development and workplace communication, rather than relying on slightly more generic phrasing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'I am writing you this letter to request you to decrease...' and 'I can assure you that this would not affect my performance.' There are some minor grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'help managing' (should be 'help manage') and the slightly awkward phrasing 'I am writing you this letter to request you to decrease'. However, these errors do not impede communication, and the meaning remains clear throughout the letter.

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

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