Band 9.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 9.0 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-08-01

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You work for an international company. You have seen an advertisement for a training course which will be useful for your job.

Write a letter to your manager. In your letter

• describe the training course you want to do
• explain what the company could do to help you
• say how the course will be useful for your job

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 9.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to request your approval to attend a professional training course that I believe would greatly benefit both my work and the company.

The course is a two-week **Project Management Professional (PMP) Preparation Course** offered by a well-known training institute next month. It covers essential topics such as project planning, risk management, budgeting, scheduling, and effective team communication. The classes are conducted in the evenings, so they will not significantly affect my regular working hours.

I would be grateful if the company could support me by covering either the course fee or part of the tuition cost. In addition, I would appreciate being allowed to leave work one hour early on the days when I need to attend the classes. I am willing to make up the missed time by working extra hours whenever necessary.

I believe this course will improve my ability to manage projects more efficiently, meet deadlines, allocate resources effectively, and communicate better with team members and clients. The knowledge and practical skills I gain will help me contribute more effectively to our department and improve the overall quality of my work.

I hope you will consider my request favourably. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours faithfully,

John Smith

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 9.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly describe the PMP course, explain the specific support required from the company (financial and time-based), and articulate the professional benefits of the training. The tone is appropriate for a formal business letter, and the purpose is clear from the outset. The ideas are well-developed and relevant, demonstrating a strong understanding of the task requirements. There are no omissions, and the letter maintains a consistent, professional focus throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 9.0

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of the request. The progression of ideas is smooth, moving from the introduction to the course details, the request for support, and finally the benefits. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Therefore', and 'I believe' are used effectively to link sentences and ideas. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sections of the letter, making the text easy to follow and professional in appearance.

Lexical Resource — Band 9.0

You demonstrate a wide and precise range of vocabulary suitable for a professional context. Phrases such as 'request your approval', 'essential topics', 'allocate resources effectively', and 'consider my request favourably' show a high level of lexical control. The vocabulary is natural and sophisticated, fitting the formal tone of the letter perfectly. There are no errors in word choice or collocation, and the language used is both accurate and varied, which is characteristic of a high-level response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 9.0

The response exhibits a wide range of grammatical structures with high accuracy. You successfully use complex sentences, such as 'I would be grateful if the company could support me by covering either the course fee or part of the tuition cost,' and 'The knowledge and practical skills I gain will help me contribute more effectively.' Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no noticeable grammatical errors. The control over sentence structure is excellent, allowing for a fluent and professional delivery of your message.

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