General Training Task 1 model answer: Asking a manager to change working hours
The question
You would like to take a part-time course, but the classes take place during your working hours. Write a letter to your manager. In your letter: describe the course you would like to take; explain how it would benefit your work; say what changes to your working hours you would like.
Model answer
Dear Mr Hartley,
I am writing to ask whether it would be possible to adjust my working hours next year so that I can attend a part-time course.
From September, Northgate College is offering a one-year Certificate in Data Analysis, taught on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The course covers spreadsheet modelling, basic statistics and data visualisation.
I believe the course would be of real value to the team. At present, much of our monthly sales reporting is done manually, which is time-consuming and occasionally leads to errors. With the skills I would gain, I could automate a large part of this process and produce clearer reports for the regional managers.
I would therefore like to request that, on course days, I start at 7 a.m. and leave at 1.30 p.m., and that I make up the remaining time by staying until 6.30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. In this way, I would still work my full contracted hours. I would, of course, ensure that any urgent afternoon tasks were covered by a colleague.
I would be happy to discuss this at a time that suits you.
Yours sincerely,
Amira Haddad
Why it works
Task Achievement
Each bullet point has its own paragraph, the purpose is clear from the first line, and the requested hours are specific and add up — the reader knows exactly what is being asked.
Coherence & Cohesion
A logical sequence from purpose to course, benefit and request, with 'therefore' linking the benefit to the request and 'In this way' summing up the proposal.
Lexical Resource
A polite, formal register suited to a manager — 'of real value', 'contracted hours', 'at a time that suits you' — with accurate workplace vocabulary.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Indirect question ('whether it would be possible'), 'request that' + clause, conditionals and a passive, plus the correct 'Dear Mr… / Yours sincerely' pairing.
Written by Stride as a study model against the public IELTS band descriptors. It has not been marked by an IELTS examiner.