Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-30

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. Smith,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing to request you to reduce my working hours because I am going to enroll in a skill enhancement program for sales.

It is a part-time study program offered by Oxford University for working professionals. In this course, I am going to learn different aspects which are necessary for sales in professional life.

This course have 3 classes, one is in-person and other two are online. The offline class is on Friday from 2pm to 6pm and I do not have a schedule for online classes yet, but I am sure, they are on weekends. Therefore, I just want to take a half day off on every Friday until I have finished my program.

Being a team leader of sales department, this skill enhancement program from such a renowned institution will help me to handle my team and clients better. This would surely help me to meet my sales targets which directly benefits the company. I see this program as a viable step for my career progression.

Thank you for taking my request of reducing hours into consideration. I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Will Jones

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (a skill enhancement program), specify the desired hours (Friday afternoons), and articulate the benefits to the employer (improved team management and sales performance). The tone is appropriate for a formal request to a manager. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, providing a clear justification for the request. The structure is logical and follows the conventions of a formal letter, ensuring the reader understands your intent immediately. Overall, the response is complete and effectively communicates your needs.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is well-organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the request to the logistics and finally the benefits. You use cohesive devices such as 'Therefore', 'Being a team leader', and 'This would surely' to link your ideas effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate for a formal letter. While the transition between the explanation of the course and the specific request for Friday hours is slightly abrupt, the overall flow remains logical and easy to follow throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message with precision. Phrases like 'skill enhancement program', 'renowned institution', and 'viable step' are well-chosen and appropriate for a professional context. There is some repetition of the word 'sales', but it does not impede communication. You show an awareness of formal register, which is essential for this task. While the vocabulary is functional and accurate, incorporating a few more sophisticated collocations or idiomatic professional expressions could elevate the score further.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most sentences are error-free, though there are minor slips, such as 'This course have 3 classes' (should be 'has') and 'one is in-person and other two are online' (missing 'the'). Despite these occasional errors, your control over grammar and punctuation is generally strong, and the meaning is never obscured. You successfully use complex structures to explain your reasoning, which demonstrates a good level of grammatical competence suitable for this task.

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.