Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-18

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 Mr. Sandhu, I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing this letter to request that you reduce my working hours because I am going to enroll for a short time course. To begin with, last month, I applied for a computer software designing course at the Algoma University, and you would be happy to know that I have been selected. The university provides all the required facilities to students. However, owing to a fixed schedule, students are not allowed to change their schedule. Furthermore, since all the classes are held in the daytime, maintaining a work life balance will become next to impossible for me. Therefore, I kindly request you to reduce my work hours from 8 to 4 hours. My current schedule is 9am to 5pm. If you change it to 12pm to 5pm, I will be able to attend my classes. As this course is relevant to my job, I believe that I will learn a few valuable skills which will certainly help me to contribute more effectively to the company. I hope you will consider my request and take appropriate action at your earliest convenience. Yours sincerely, Vipan Sharma.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained your reason for wanting to reduce hours (enrolling in a software design course), specified the desired hours (12pm to 5pm), and articulated the benefit to your employer (gaining skills relevant to your job). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. To reach a higher band, ensure that the transition between your current schedule and the proposed one is perfectly clear, as the request for '8 to 4 hours' was slightly confusing compared to your specific proposal of '12pm to 5pm'.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter follows a logical progression, moving from the request to the justification and finally the benefits. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'However', 'Furthermore', and 'Therefore' to link your ideas effectively. Paragraphing is present, though the letter would benefit from a more distinct separation between the introduction, the body paragraphs detailing the request, and the concluding call to action. The flow of information is smooth, and the reader can easily follow your argument throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'next to impossible', 'at your earliest convenience', and 'contribute more effectively' are well-chosen and appropriate for a formal context. There are no significant spelling errors, and your word choice is generally precise. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common vocabulary related to professional development to elevate the tone further. For example, instead of 'short time course', you could use 'part-time professional development program'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

Your grammar is generally strong, with a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. You use conditional sentences ('If you change it..., I will be able to...') and modal verbs correctly. There are very few errors, and those that exist do not impede communication. For instance, 'I am going to enroll for a short time course' is grammatically sound, though 'enroll in' would be more natural. Your punctuation is accurate, and the overall control of sentence structure is consistent throughout the letter.

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

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