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 ………………..,

I’m writing to request a reduction in the amount of work hours assigned to me every week due to an interest in taking up part-time studies while still working.

I would like you to please consider allowing me to work from 7 am to 3 pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday every week going forward for the next 6 months as I have an interest to take up learning Spanish as my second language and the school is scheduled on every Tuesday and Thursday as per the calendar provided by the institution.

Taking up Spanish as my second language will open new opportunities for me in the company as I’ll be able to work on projects in areas where Spanish is required thus increasing the scope of expansion through various parts of the globe. It is intended to benefit the company immensely by providing service in the preferred language of the client we would be working with thus providing a sense of trust.

I appreciate your understanding and hope to receive your support.

Yours faithfully,

……………..

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly state the reason for the request (part-time study), specify the desired working hours (7 am to 3 pm, Mon/Wed/Fri), and explain the professional benefits of learning Spanish. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a boss. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific detail regarding how your current role might be adjusted or how you plan to manage your workload during the remaining hours, which would further develop the ideas and demonstrate a more professional approach to the negotiation.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a formal closing. Each paragraph focuses on a distinct aspect of the task. You use some cohesive devices, such as 'as I have', 'thus', and 'in order to', which help the flow of ideas. However, the transition between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother. To improve, try using a wider variety of linking words or phrases to connect your arguments more fluidly, ensuring that the relationship between your studies and the company's benefit is explicitly linked.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message clearly. Phrases like 'request a reduction', 'immensely', and 'scope of expansion' are used effectively. There are some minor issues with collocation, such as 'assigned to me every week' (which is slightly wordy) and 'the school is scheduled on' (which is not the most natural way to describe a course timetable). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, incorporating more precise business-related collocations would elevate the response to a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional-like structure in the third paragraph. Most sentences are clear and easy to follow. There are a few minor grammatical slips, such as 'the school is scheduled on every Tuesday' (should be 'classes are scheduled for') and 'the client we would be working with' (which is slightly informal). Punctuation is generally accurate, though some sentences are quite long and could benefit from more careful clause management to improve readability. Overall, your grammar is strong enough to communicate your request without any confusion.

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

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