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 the other two are online. The offline class is on Friday from 2pm to 6pm and I do not has 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. Additionally, this education would surely help me to meet my sales targets which directly benefit the company.Moreover, I see this program as a significant 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

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly explained the reason for the request (a skill enhancement program), specified the desired working hours (Friday afternoons), and articulated the benefits to the employer (improved team management and sales targets). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, providing a clear justification for your request. The letter is well-structured and follows the conventions of a formal request letter, ensuring the reader understands your intentions immediately.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the request to the details and finally the benefits. You have used cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Moreover', and 'Therefore' to link your ideas effectively. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the flow of information is smooth. There is a clear sense of progression throughout the letter, and the relationship between the request and the justification is well-maintained, making the text easy to follow for the reader.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a professional context, such as 'skill enhancement program', 'renowned institution', and 'career progression'. While the vocabulary is generally accurate and fits the context well, there are minor instances where word choice could be more precise, such as 'take a half day off' which is slightly informal. However, the range is sufficient to convey your message clearly and professionally. You avoid repetition and use a variety of terms related to your professional role and the educational program effectively.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are some noticeable grammatical errors, such as 'This course have 3 classes' (should be 'has'), 'I do not has' (should be 'have'), and 'take my request of reducing hours' (should be 'take my request to reduce hours'). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable but do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, you should focus on subject-verb agreement and infinitive usage. Despite these slips, the overall structure of your sentences is clear and the meaning is never in doubt.

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.