Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-17

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 Sir,

I am writing to ask you if I can reduce my working hours because I want to study a part-time course starting next month.

To balance my work responsibilities and my studies, I would like to reduce my schedule to 24 hours per week. I propose working on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This schedule will allow me to attend my university classes on Mondays and Fridays while ensuring I am present during our busiest workdays.

I believe my studies will directly benefit our company. The course focuses on digital marketing and project management, which will help me manage our client projects more effectively and improve our online presence. By learning new strategies, I can work more efficiently and help our team in several areas to achieve better results.

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Alex

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response successfully covers all bullet points outlined in the task prompt. The writer clearly explains the desire to reduce working hours to pursue a part-time course, states the specific schedule proposed (24 hours per week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays), and effectively describes how the studies will benefit the employer by improving digital marketing and project management skills. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a boss, and the purpose of the communication is achieved seamlessly. All aspects of the task are fully developed, earning a high score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter is logically organised with clear progression throughout. Ideas flow naturally from the introduction of the request into the specific scheduling details, and finally into the professional benefits for the company. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct points, and cohesive devices such as 'To balance', 'This schedule', and 'By learning' are managed well. Referencing is clear and unambiguous, ensuring the reader can easily follow the progression of ideas.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient and flexible range of vocabulary appropriate for a professional workplace context. Phrases like 'balance my work responsibilities', 'digital marketing and project management', and 'manage our client projects more effectively' show good control of collocation and style. While the vocabulary is not overly exotic, it is precise, accurate, and completely adequate for the task, allowing for natural and effective communication without any noticeable errors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The writing exhibits a good variety of complex sentence structures, such as 'To balance my work responsibilities and my studies, I would like to reduce my schedule to 24 hours per week' and 'The course focuses on digital marketing and project management, which will help me manage our client projects more effectively'. The majority of sentences are error-free, and punctuation is handled correctly throughout. Control of verb tenses and modal verbs is strong, reflecting high grammatical accuracy.

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

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