Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-07

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 Manager,

I am writing to request reducing my working hours from the beginning of next month to cope with my part-time studies.

Since I am enrolling in a pharmacy technician course, it will be difficult for me to manage both my job and studies at the same time. This course requires 20 hours of self-study along with presentations and writing exams. Therefore, reducing my current working hours would be beneficial to focus on my new course.

I am willing to work Monday to Thursday as I will be attending weekend classes, and it will give me enough time to prepare for my coursework and catch up with my modules. I am also happy to do overtime when needed to avoid understaffing situations.

It is a great opportunity to become a licensed pharmacy technician because then I will be able to contribute to managerial tasks and attain proficient skills to improve the business of this pharmacy. After this licensing, I van help pharmacist in accuracy checking of prescriptions and counselling of patients, which will reduce their burden.

I hope you will understand my situation and approve my hours.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours Sincerely

XYZ

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 8.0

The letter covers all three requested points clearly. You explain that the pharmacy technician course will be difficult to combine with your current job, specify a Monday-to-Thursday schedule, and describe benefits such as helping with prescription checks and patient counselling. These details make the request purposeful and relevant, and the offer to work overtime also shows consideration for the employer. The benefits are developed particularly well through concrete examples. To make the case even more complete, state explicitly how many hours you are asking to work or how your proposed schedule changes your current hours; “reducing my current working hours” leaves the exact arrangement unclear. Overall, the purpose and supporting ideas are well established.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The letter follows a clear progression: request, reason, proposed schedule, benefits to the pharmacy, and a polite closing. Paragraphing separates these functions effectively, while links such as “Since,” “Therefore,” and “After this licensing” help the reader follow the explanation. The sequence is logical and the tone remains consistent. Some connections could be made more precise: “After this licensing” refers to becoming licensed, but the transition into the employer benefits is slightly abrupt. Also, the final request to approve “my hours” could refer more clearly to the Monday-to-Thursday arrangement. More exact referencing and a smoother link between study plans and workplace benefits would make the cohesion feel less noticeable and more polished.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of vocabulary for a formal workplace letter, including “self-study,” “coursework,” “understaffing,” “accuracy checking,” and “counselling of patients.” These choices communicate the situation and the potential value to the pharmacy. There are also some imprecise or unnatural expressions that keep the vocabulary from being consistently flexible and precise: “improve the business of this pharmacy” is broad, and “attain proficient skills” is an awkward collocation. “I van help” contains a spelling error, and “writing exams” is less natural than “sitting exams.” Aim for more idiomatic combinations and precise descriptions of the contribution you could make. The meaning remains clear despite these slips.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The response includes a useful mix of simple and complex sentences, with generally controlled clauses such as “Since I am enrolling in a pharmacy technician course, it will be difficult for me to manage both my job and studies.” Most sentences are clear, and the conditional structure in “because then I will be able to contribute” is understandable. A few grammatical choices need attention: “request reducing my working hours” is better formed as “request a reduction in my working hours” or “request that my hours be reduced”; “help pharmacist” needs an article or plural noun; and “Yours Sincerely” should use lowercase “sincerely.” The sentence beginning “After this licensing” also has an unclear grammatical reference. More consistent control of these details would strengthen an otherwise varied and readable response.

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

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