Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-26

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 Ahmed,

I am writing to request a reduction in my working hours due to my part-time studies. Working for long hours prevents me from pursuing further education.

I am very much interested in pursuing a master's degree, as I have recently enrolled in a Master of Public Health programme, and classes will be held throughout the week. Therefore, it would be difficult for me to continue working full-time.

I will be available from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and I believe these hours would be ideal for me to continue working. After that, my classes will begin at 1:00 p.m.

Given my healthcare background, this master's programme in public health will enhance my knowledge and support my career progression.

I hope you will consider my request favourably. Please let me know if you require any further information regarding this matter.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Kashi

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (enrolling in a Master of Public Health), specify the desired working hours (8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.), and describe the benefit to the employer (enhancing knowledge and supporting career progression). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. To reach a higher band, you could further develop the final point by explicitly stating how your new knowledge will directly contribute to the company's specific goals or projects, rather than just focusing on your own career progression.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is well-organized with a clear logical progression. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the request, which makes the information easy to follow. You use appropriate cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'Given my', and 'as' to link ideas. The paragraphing is logical and supports the overall flow of the letter. To improve, you could use a wider variety of linking phrases to connect your sentences more fluidly, as some transitions are currently quite standard.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your request clearly. Phrases like 'pursuing further education', 'enrolled in', and 'career progression' are accurate and appropriate for a formal context. However, the vocabulary is somewhat functional and lacks the 'less common' items that would elevate the response to a higher band. To improve, try incorporating more sophisticated collocations or precise professional terminology related to your field of work or study.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

Your grammar is generally accurate, and the letter is free of major errors that impede communication. You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively, such as 'Working for long hours prevents me from...' and 'Given my healthcare background, this master's programme...'. The punctuation is correct throughout. To achieve a higher score, aim to incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures, such as conditional sentences (e.g., 'If I were able to adjust my schedule, I could...') to demonstrate greater flexibility.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.