General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · other

Letter to college administrator regarding course cancellation

You recently booked a part-time course at a college. You now need to cancel your booking.

Write a letter to the college administrator. In your letter:

say which part-time course you booked
explain why you need to cancel your booking
ask about booking a different course

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to formally request the cancellation of my enrolment in the part-time 'Introduction to Digital Photography' course, which is scheduled to commence next month.

Unfortunately, my circumstances have changed unexpectedly. My employer has recently announced a significant restructuring of our department, which requires me to undertake mandatory evening training sessions for the next three months. Consequently, I will no longer be able to attend the photography classes as originally planned, as the timings clash directly with these new professional commitments.

Despite this, I remain very keen to pursue studies at your institution. Could you please advise if it is possible to transfer my current deposit towards a different course? I am particularly interested in the 'Graphic Design Fundamentals' weekend workshop, provided there are still vacancies available. Alternatively, please let me know the procedure for obtaining a refund if a transfer is not feasible.

Thank you for your time and assistance in resolving this matter. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan Miller

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

Why this scores well

This letter achieves Band 8 by addressing all three bullet points with logical, specific detail and maintaining a consistently professional tone throughout. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to provide a clear reason for the cancellation or neglecting to ask about the alternative course, which results in incomplete task fulfilment.

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

enrolment: The process of officially registering for a course.
commence: A formal term used to mean to begin.
restructuring: Organising a company in a new way.
mandatory: Something that must be done by rule.
feasible: Something that is possible and easy to do.
vacancies: Available spaces or positions in a class.

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.