Band 9.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 9.0 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-08-22

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You work for an international company, and would like to spend six months working in its head office in another country. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter

• explain why you want to work in the company's head office for six months
• say how your work could be done while you are away
• ask for his/her help in arranging it

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ................. ,

Student answer (Band 9.0)

Dear Mr. Roberts,

I am writing to request your support in arranging a six-month placement at our company’s head office, which I believe would be highly valuable at this stage in my career.

Having worked in this role for the past three years, I feel I have a solid understanding of our regional operations, but I have limited insight into how strategic decisions are made at a company-wide level. Spending time at the head office would allow me to observe this process directly and bring back valuable knowledge that could benefit our team’s performance here.

Regarding my current responsibilities, I have already given this some thought. I believe my colleague, Sarah, who is familiar with most of my ongoing projects, could manage my day-to-day tasks during my absence. In addition, I would remain reachable by email for anything urgent, ensuring a smooth transition with minimal disruption to the team.

I would be extremely grateful if you could support this request and, if possible, put me in touch with the relevant department at the head office to begin discussing the logistics involved.

Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Yours sincerely,

Natasha

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 9.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly explain the motivation for the six-month placement, provide a practical solution for covering your workload through a colleague, and make a polite, specific request for assistance. The tone is consistently professional and appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. The ideas are well-developed and logically presented, showing a clear understanding of the task requirements. There are no omissions, and the purpose of the letter is established immediately and maintained throughout.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 9.0

The letter is well-structured with a logical progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the request, moving smoothly from the purpose to the logistics and finally to the call to action. Cohesive devices such as 'Having worked in this role', 'Regarding my current responsibilities', and 'In addition' are used effectively to link sentences and paragraphs. The use of paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall flow is natural and easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a high band score.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.5

The vocabulary is precise, professional, and well-suited to a business context. You use sophisticated collocations and phrases such as 'strategic decisions', 'company-wide level', 'ongoing projects', and 'minimal disruption'. The language is natural and demonstrates a high level of control. There are no errors in word choice or collocation, and the range of vocabulary is sufficient to express complex ideas clearly and fluently. The tone is consistently formal and appropriate for the target audience.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 9.0

The writing displays a wide range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences with subordinate clauses (e.g., 'Having worked in this role for the past three years, I feel...'). The control over punctuation and syntax is excellent, and the majority of sentences are error-free. There are no noticeable grammatical slips, and the use of tenses is accurate throughout. The structure is sophisticated yet clear, reflecting a high level of grammatical competence that allows for precise communication of your request.

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

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