Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-09

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 Mr. Smith,

I am writing this letter, for a request of reduction of my working hours. In this fall I am planning to take a part-time education, for better development of my professional knowledge and skills and contributing more in this firm.

I have enrolled in part-time programme, that requires my attendance two evenings in week and additionally dedicating my time in assignments and projects. Due to that, I would request my working hours to be reduced to 30 hours from standard 40 hours a week. Ideally i would prefer to work from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

I believe undertaking this programme will directly beneficial to the company. This skills will help my to work more efficiently, faster and contribute more ideas to the team. The acquired skills is relevant to my current role in the firm and potentially take on additional responsibility in the future.

I would be grateful if you consider my request my request. I can assure you that my reduced working hours will not negatively affect my performance and responsibilities.

Yours Faithfully,

Akshar

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly explain the reason for the request (part-time study), specify the desired working hours (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), and articulate the benefits to the employer (increased efficiency and potential for future responsibilities). The tone is appropriate for a formal business letter. The purpose of the letter is clear from the outset, and the ideas are developed sufficiently to meet the task requirements. No parts of the prompt were omitted, and the response maintains a consistent focus throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the request. The progression of ideas is clear, moving from the request to the details, and finally to the benefits. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Due to that' and 'I believe', which help the flow. However, the transition between ideas could be slightly more sophisticated to reach a higher band. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sections of the letter, making it easy for the reader to follow your argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'enrolled', 'undertaking', and 'efficiently'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'take a part-time education' (should be 'pursue part-time studies') and 'directly beneficial' (should be 'directly beneficial to' or 'will be directly beneficial'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the flexibility and precision required for a higher band. The repetition of 'my request' in the final paragraph is also a minor stylistic weakness.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical slips. For example, 'for a request of reduction' is awkward (should be 'to request a reduction'), and 'two evenings in week' is missing an article ('a week'). There are also subject-verb agreement issues, such as 'This skills will help my' (should be 'These skills will help me'). Despite these errors, they do not impede communication. To improve, focus on proofreading for articles, prepositions, and pronoun usage.

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

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