Letter to Boss Requesting Reduced Hours for Study

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 Dear ...,

Annotated response

9 correction notes

I am writing this letter to formally request a reduction in my working hours effective from the beginning of . I am requesting this to accommodate my part-time studies, which will start soon. I believe it will enhance both my professional skills and my ability to contribute to the company.

I have recently enrolled in a part-time Business Management programme, which aligns closely with my role . This course will equip me with advanced skills in strategic planning, leadership, and data analysis, enabling me to perform my job more effectively. However, to manage my academic commitments, I would like to adjust my working schedule , Monday to Thursday, and 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Friday.

I am confident that these studies will allow me to bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to my work, ultimately benefiting the company. For the last few months, I have felt the need to better analyse our that this course will .

Please let me know if we can discuss this arrangement further. I truly appreciate your support and consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Henry Whitmore

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 8.0

The letter's greatest strength is its clear, professional register and full coverage of all three bullet points with well-developed, specific detail. The main limitation is some slightly formulaic or loosely worded phrasing, such as imprecise collocations, which keeps the language short of fully natural control.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

Task Achievement

8.0

The letter directly addresses all three bullet points, explaining the Business Management enrolment as the reason, specifying exact proposed hours, and developing the benefit to the employer through the sales-data example in an appropriate formal tone.

Coherence and Cohesion

7.5

Ideas are logically sequenced across well-structured paragraphs with clear cohesive devices such as 'However' and 'ultimately', though progression occasionally relies on somewhat mechanical linking.

Lexical Resource

7.5

Vocabulary is sufficiently flexible and precise for the formal request, using phrases like 'accommodate my part-time studies' and 'fresh perspectives', with only occasional imprecise collocations such as 'equip me perfectly for this skill'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

8.0

A wide range of complex structures, including relative clauses and participial phrases, is used with flexibility and consistent accuracy, with only rare minor lapses.