General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · giving information

Letter to a Museum Curator Requesting Exhibition Information

As part of a student social survey project, you are organizing a group to visit a historical exhibition in a small town.

Write a letter asking for information regarding such things as the. In your letter:

contents of the exhibition
the dates of its opening and closing
if there are any discounts available

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear ...,

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Curator,

I am currently coordinating a student social survey project at my university, which focuses on local heritage. We are keen to organize a group visit to the historical exhibition currently hosted at your venue.

Could you please provide some details regarding the specific contents of the exhibition? We are particularly interested in understanding whether the displays cover local industrial history or broader regional developments, as this will help us prepare our research questions accordingly.

Furthermore, I would appreciate clarification on the exhibition’s schedule. Could you confirm the exact dates of its opening and closing? Knowing this timeline is essential for us to finalize our group itinerary and ensure that our visit aligns with the exhibition's availability.

Lastly, as we are a group of students, I am inquiring whether any concessionary rates or group discounts are available for educational visits. If so, could you please outline the procedure for booking tickets at these reduced prices?

Thank you for your assistance with our project. I look forward to your prompt response.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Sterling

175 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response covers all three bullet points with specific, relevant details while maintaining a professional and consistent tone throughout. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to link the request to the specific 'student survey' context provided in the prompt, often resulting in a generic inquiry.

Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.
If you know the person's surname, use Dear Mr or Ms and close with Yours sincerely.
No contractions, no slang; polite indirect requests such as I would be grateful if you could.

Useful phrases from the letter

coordinating: organizing the different elements of a complex activity
heritage: the history and traditions of a specific place
itinerary: a planned route or schedule of a journey
concessionary rates: prices reduced for specific groups like students
aligns: to place things in a correct or suitable position
prompt: done without delay or immediate in action

Write your own and get a band

Answer this prompt in a timed General Training writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

Practise IELTS General writing

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Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?

Formal. Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.

How long should an IELTS General Training letter be?

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.