Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-22

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)

Task 1

Dear Sir,

I am Harneet Kaur, one of the front-end associates at your store. I am writing to kindly request you to shorten my working hours as I am planning to enrol in a short-term pharmacy assistant course.

It is evident that the healthcare sector is gaining popularity in the present scenario owing to which I want to pursue my studies in this growing field. With regard to my availability, I would prefer to work on weekends including Friday and be able to work after 3pm on Thursday. Following this schedule, I would be able to balance my work with study.

The reason why I am taking this program is not only to step into a high-demand category but also it would benefit my current job. As, being a pharmacy assistant I would get practical learning of medications, health and safety standards along with first-aid training. Consequently, I would use all my skills and knowledge for our store whenever it required.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Harneet Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained your motivation for reducing hours, specified the desired schedule, and provided a logical argument for how your studies would benefit your employer. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. To reach a higher band, you could provide slightly more specific detail regarding how the pharmacy assistant training would specifically improve your current performance at the store, rather than just stating it would be useful. Overall, the task is fully addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is well-organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, which helps the reader follow your argument easily. You use cohesive devices such as 'consequently', 'with regard to', and 'not only... but also' to link your ideas effectively. The progression of ideas is logical throughout. To improve, ensure that your transitions between sentences feel slightly more natural, as some connections are a bit mechanical, but the overall structure is very clear and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a professional context, such as 'enrol', 'healthcare sector', and 'practical learning'. Your word choice is generally precise and conveys your meaning clearly. There are no significant spelling or word-choice errors. To move into the higher bands, try to incorporate more sophisticated collocations or less common idiomatic expressions that fit a formal business context, such as 'mutually beneficial' or 'professional development'. Your current vocabulary is sufficient and accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most of your sentences are error-free, and your control over grammar is strong. There is a minor error in the third paragraph: 'As, being a pharmacy assistant...' is a fragment and should be integrated into the previous or following sentence. Additionally, 'whenever it required' should be 'whenever it is required'. Despite these minor slips, your grammatical control is solid, and the meaning is never obscured by these small inaccuracies.

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

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