General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · request

Letter to college professor regarding course withdrawal

You find that your study load is too heavy.

Write a letter to your college teacher. In your letter:

explaining why you need to withdraw from two courses
ask if it is possible to obtain a refund

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Professor Higgins,

I am writing to formally request permission to withdraw from two of my current modules, specifically 'Advanced Macroeconomics' and 'Statistical Analysis'.

Unfortunately, I have found that my current study load has become unmanageable. Due to unexpected personal circumstances that require a significant portion of my time, I am struggling to dedicate the necessary effort to all five of my enrolled subjects. I believe that by reducing my course load, I will be able to maintain a high academic standard in my remaining classes rather than risking poor performance across the board.

Regarding the financial aspect of this withdrawal, I would like to enquire if it is possible to obtain a partial refund for the fees paid for these two modules. Given that I am withdrawing well before the final assessment period, I hope that the college might consider a reimbursement or perhaps a credit towards future semesters.

I have attached the relevant withdrawal forms for your review and would appreciate your guidance on the next steps in this process. Thank you for your time and understanding regarding this difficult decision.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan Miller

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

Why this scores well

This letter achieves Band 8 by addressing all prompt requirements with a consistent formal tone and sophisticated, natural vocabulary. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to explain the specific circumstances clearly or using an overly casual tone inappropriate for a professor.

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

withdraw: To remove oneself from a course or institution.
unmanageable: Too difficult or large to deal with effectively.
enrolled: Officially registered as a student in a course.
reimbursement: The act of paying back money already spent.
academic standard: The level of quality expected in school work.
enquire: To ask for information about something formal.

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.