Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-20

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 Diane,

Hope all is well. I am writhing this letter to request you to reduce my working hours.

I wanted to reduce my hours at work because I have decided to continue my graduation in business management. I am planning to get enrolled in part time course and because of that I can only work 30 hours a week.

My course is starting from next month. So, my new availability would be only limited to Thursday and Friday evenings, and weekends full day.

My course is related to business management, providing me theoretical knowledge of my responsibilities as an assistant store manager at McDonalds. This course would provide me more knowledge about managing staff, achieving business targets, and providing better customer service. So, it would not only enhance my personal knowledge but also helps to improve corporate's results.

I hope you would consider my request and my upcoming shifts would be according to my new availability.

Yours truly,

Harshdeep

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter covers all three bullet points effectively. You clearly explain the reason for the request (pursuing a business management course), specify the desired hours (Thursday/Friday evenings and weekends), and articulate the benefits to your employer (applying theoretical knowledge to your role as an assistant store manager). The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a manager. The ideas are relevant and well-developed, ensuring the reader understands both your personal goals and the professional value you bring to the company. The response is well-structured and fully addresses the prompt requirements.

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 prompt, which aids readability. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'So' and 'because of that' to link ideas. To reach a higher band, you could incorporate a wider variety of linking words and transition phrases (e.g., 'consequently', 'furthermore', 'in addition to this') to improve the flow between sentences. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall progression of ideas is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'theoretical knowledge', 'corporate's results', and 'availability'. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'continue my graduation' (should be 'pursue my degree' or 'continue my studies') and 'get enrolled in' (which is slightly informal). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your message clearly, incorporating more precise collocations and less common professional terminology would enhance the quality of your writing. Spelling is generally accurate, with the exception of 'writhing' instead of 'writing'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are some grammatical inaccuracies. For example, 'I am writhing this letter' contains a spelling error, and 'helps to improve corporate's results' should be 'help to improve the company's results'. Additionally, 'my new availability would be only limited to' is slightly awkward phrasing. Despite these errors, your control of grammar is generally good, and the mistakes do not impede communication. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures would help improve your score in this criterion.

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

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