You need to change your usual working hours for a period of time. Write a letter to your manager.
This letter asks for a genuine favour from your manager, so it has to justify the request while proving it won't cost the team anything.
The question
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You need to change your usual working hours for a period of time. Write a letter to your manager.
In your letter,
explain your situation and why you need to change your hours
describe exactly what change you are requesting, and for how long
reassure your manager that your work will not be affected
You do not need to write your own address. Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Ms Whitfield,
Write at least 150 words.
What this letter needs
The challenge here is that a request for changed hours is really two letters in one: an explanation of a personal situation, and a proposal that has to reassure a manager the business won't suffer. Candidates who only explain their circumstances and forget to address the practical impact on the team tend to lose marks on Task Achievement, so the strongest letters spend real space on how the missed time will be made up, not just why it's needed.
Structure
Salutation — Dear Mr/Ms [Surname], — your manager, addressed respectfully but without excessive formality since you work together.
Opening — State directly that you are asking about a change to your working hours, so the purpose is clear from the first line.
Body 1 — Explain the personal reason behind the request without going into unnecessary detail.
Body 2 — Specify exactly what change you want — which days, which hours, and for how long.
Body 3 — Reassure your manager that your workload and the team will not be affected, and say how you will make up any time.
Closing — Invite your manager to confirm the arrangement or discuss it further, keeping the tone cooperative.
Model answers
Band 6.0 model answer
168 words
Dear Ms Whitfield,
I am writing to ask if it would be possible to change my working hours for a temporary period. My father recently had an operation, and he needs someone to help him get ready and take him to his appointments in the mornings until he recovers.
Because of this, I would like to ask if I could start work one hour later, at 10 a.m. instead of 9 a.m., on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for the next six weeks.
I understand that this change might cause some difficulties for the team, so I want to make sure my work does not suffer. I am happy to work through my lunch break on those days, or to stay one hour later in the evening to make up the missed time. I will also make sure all my urgent tasks are finished before I leave the office.
I would be very grateful if you could let me know if this arrangement is possible.
Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 6.0
Covers the request adequately but plainly, stating the change directly: 'I could start work one hour later, at 10 a.m. instead of 9 a.m.'
Reassurance is present but underdeveloped, limited to one sentence: 'I want to make sure my work does not suffer.'
Simple, repeated sentence patterns, e.g. two consecutive sentences both starting with 'I am happy to' and 'I will also'.
Vocabulary is functional rather than varied, using plain phrases like 'cause some difficulties' rather than more precise alternatives.
Band 7.0 model answer
196 words
Dear Ms Whitfield,
I am writing to ask whether it might be possible to adjust my working hours for a short period. My father recently underwent surgery, and for the next few weeks he will need help getting to his medical appointments each morning until he has recovered sufficiently to manage on his own.
With this in mind, I would like to request starting work an hour later, at 10 a.m. rather than 9 a.m., on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for approximately six weeks. I have already spoken to his doctor, who confirmed that this timeframe should be sufficient for his recovery.
I am, of course, conscious that this arrangement could place extra pressure on the team, so I would like to reassure you that my workload will not be affected. I am more than willing to make up the lost time by working through my lunch break or staying later in the evening, and I will ensure that any time-sensitive tasks are completed before those days begin.
Please let me know if this would be workable from your side, or if you would prefer to discuss the details further in person.
Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 7.0
Content is grouped logically into cause, request, and reassurance, each getting its own paragraph.
Uses less common vocabulary accurately, such as 'sufficiently' and 'timeframe', without strain.
Combines simple and complex sentences, e.g. 'I am, of course, conscious that this arrangement could place extra pressure on the team, so I would like to reassure you...' links two ideas smoothly with a connector.
Register stays professional throughout, with polite hedging like 'whether it might be possible' softening the request appropriately.
Band 8.5 model answer
208 words
Dear Ms Whitfield,
I am writing to ask whether we might arrange a temporary adjustment to my working hours. My father recently underwent surgery, and for the next several weeks he will need someone to help him get ready and accompany him to his morning appointments until he is steady enough to manage alone.
Given this, I would like to propose starting an hour later, at 10 a.m. instead of 9 a.m., on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, for roughly six weeks. His consultant has indicated that this should be more than enough time for a full recovery, so I would not expect the arrangement to extend beyond that.
I am well aware that any change to my hours has knock-on effects for the wider team, and I want to assure you that my output will not suffer as a result. I am entirely willing to make up the time by working through lunch or staying later on those evenings, and I will front-load any urgent tasks so nothing is left hanging over those mornings.
I would be grateful if you could let me know whether this is workable, and I am, naturally, happy to discuss alternatives if this arrangement does not suit the team.
Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 8.5
Content covered with real precision — the reassurance paragraph is the most developed, addressing 'knock-on effects for the wider team' directly rather than in passing.
Idiomatic phrasing that reads as genuinely native, such as 'front-load any urgent tasks so nothing is left hanging over those mornings.'
Flexible complex grammar handled with no strain, e.g. the long final sentence balancing the request with a graceful concession, 'I am, naturally, happy to discuss alternatives if this arrangement does not suit the team.'
Vocabulary is precise without padding: 'consultant', 'steady enough' and 'knock-on effects' are all used accurately.
Register is perfectly judged — warm but professional throughout, never slipping into either stiffness or over-familiarity.
Model answers written and reviewed by The English All-in-One IELTS team. They are teaching models showing what each band looks like, not real candidate scripts.
This is a semi-formal letter question. The answers above show you what each band looks like when it is finished. What they cannot show you is how to get there from a blank page in twenty minutes.
That is what our Writing Study Library is for: the structure we teach for this exact question type, the paragraph pattern that goes with it, and the sentence openers for each stage — so the letter is planned before you start writing rather than assembled as you go.
Answers checked here may be published on this page, without your name, to help other learners. Nothing else about you is stored.
Common questions
How much personal detail should I give about the reason for the schedule change?
Enough to justify the request, no more — one or two sentences, like explaining a parent 'recently underwent surgery', is sufficient; the letter should spend more space on the practical arrangement than on the personal backstory.
Do I need to specify an exact end date for the change, or can it stay open-ended?
A specific or approximate timeframe, such as 'for approximately six weeks', is much stronger than an open-ended request, since it reassures the manager the arrangement won't drift on indefinitely.
What's the most important bullet point to develop for a Band 8.5 answer?
The reassurance about your workload — examiners are checking that you've fully addressed the task, and a manager reading this letter needs to see a concrete plan, not just an assurance that 'my work does not suffer'.
Should I suggest a specific way to make up the time, or just say I will?
Always be specific — phrases like 'working through my lunch break or staying later in the evening' show you've thought the request through, which is far more persuasive than a vague promise.
