Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-10-25

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 Sir or Madam,

I am writing to request reduction in my working hours in order to pursue part-time course alongside my employment.

I have recently decided to enrol in a part-time course related to my professional field. This would allow me to gain further knowledge and develop new skills that will help me advance my career. However, my current full-time work schedule alongside my studies is considerably challenging, so I would appreciate the opportunity to work fewer hours each week.

Ideally, I would like to work 8 am to 2 pm, Monday to Friday, instead of full-time. As this arrangement would allow me to study after my work hours and dedicate sufficient hours to complete my assignments and prepare for my exam. Additionally, I am open to discuss an alternative work schedule according to the company's needs.

I firmly believe that part-time studies will benefit the company for long term. As I will be equipped with problem-solving abilities, efficiency, and generating new ideas that work on the growth of the company.

Thank you for your time and assistance, I look forward to your prompt response at your earliest convenience.

Yours faithfully,

Sukhdeep Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The letter addresses all three requested points and maintains a clear, appropriate purpose. You explain that the course is related to your professional field and will help you gain knowledge and skills, specify a proposed schedule of 8 am to 2 pm on weekdays, and describe potential benefits to the company. The request is polite, and your offer to consider an alternative schedule shows awareness of your employer’s needs. The benefit to the employer is relevant but remains somewhat general: “problem-solving abilities, efficiency, and generating new ideas” would be more convincing if linked to specific duties or outcomes in your role. Developing that connection would make the ideas more fully supported and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.5

The letter has a clear progression: it introduces the request, explains the reason, proposes working hours, and then discusses benefits before closing. Paragraphing supports this sequence, and linking expressions such as “However,” “Ideally,” and “Additionally” help guide the reader. The main cohesion issue is that the sentence beginning “As this arrangement would allow me…” is a dependent clause presented as a complete sentence, interrupting the flow from the proposed schedule to its explanation. The final benefit paragraph also shifts into a sentence fragment, making the relationship between the studies and the company’s gains less smooth. Joining these ideas into complete sentences would make the progression more consistently controlled.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a formal workplace request, including “pursue,” “enrol,” “professional field,” and “alternative work schedule.” These choices communicate the topic clearly, and the tone is generally suitable. Some collocations and expressions are less natural or precise, however: “request reduction in my working hours” needs a more natural phrasing, while “benefit the company for long term” and “work on the growth of the company” are awkward. The list “problem-solving abilities, efficiency, and generating new ideas” also mixes forms, which weakens lexical control. More precise workplace language and consistent phrasing would add flexibility and polish.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response attempts a mix of simple and complex structures, including the contrast introduced by “However” and the conditional idea in “As this arrangement would allow me to study…”. Meaning is generally clear, but some grammatical errors remain. “As this arrangement would allow me…” is a subordinate clause without a main clause; it could be joined to the preceding sentence. Likewise, “As I will be equipped…” is a fragment, and “I am open to discuss” should use a gerund after “open to.” The closing sentence also joins two independent clauses with only a comma. Correcting these patterns, while retaining varied sentence structures, would improve accuracy and control.

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