General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · request

Letter to College Principal Requesting Leave of Absence

You are currently taking a course at a college but you will need to have a week off during this course.

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

give details of your course
explain why you need a week off
say what you want the Principal to do

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Principal Higgins,

I am writing to formally request a one-week leave of absence from my current studies. I am enrolled in the Advanced Graphic Design Diploma, which is currently in its second term, with classes scheduled daily from Monday to Friday.

Unfortunately, I have been notified of a mandatory family commitment overseas that requires my physical presence from the 12th to the 16th of November. Due to the sensitive nature of this personal matter, I must travel during this specific period, which coincides with the final week of our current module on digital illustration.

I am keen to ensure my academic progress remains unaffected. Could you please grant me permission to be absent during these dates? Furthermore, I would appreciate it if you could advise me on the necessary procedures for accessing catch-up materials or if there are any specific assignments I should submit in advance to compensate for the missed contact hours.

Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to your guidance on how to best manage this situation.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan Sterling

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

Why this scores well

This response achieves Band 8 by addressing all three bullet points with a clear, professional purpose and consistent formal tone throughout. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to provide specific details about the course or the dates of absence, leading to an underdeveloped response.

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

mandatory: required by law, rules, or a specific situation
coincides with: happening at the same time as something else
academic progress: the level of success achieved in your studies
contact hours: time spent in direct instruction with a teacher
compensate: to provide something to make up for loss
enrolled: officially registered as a member of a course

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

On your phone? Get the BandLadder app.

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.