General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · request

Letter to Community Hall Manager regarding practice space

You are part of a group of musicians who meet on Tuesday and Friday evenings to practice in the community hall. You have been told, however, that it is no longer possible for the group to use the hall.

Write a letter to the manager. In your letter:

describe what the group does
explain why the group is good for the community
suggest alternative days and times for practice

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 express my disappointment regarding the recent notification that our ensemble, the Harmony Strings, can no longer utilise the community hall for our rehearsals on Tuesday and Friday evenings.

We are a local group of twelve amateur musicians who meet twice weekly to practice classical and contemporary chamber music. Our rehearsals involve focused group work to prepare for seasonal performances, ensuring our arrangements are polished and professional.

This group provides a vital cultural service to the neighbourhood. We regularly perform free concerts for residents at the local care home and school, fostering a sense of community spirit and providing accessible music education for local children. Our presence in the hall has consistently encouraged civic engagement and artistic appreciation among the youth.

If the current schedule conflicts with new bookings, we would be more than happy to adjust our arrangements. We could shift our sessions to Wednesday and Thursday evenings, or even earlier on Saturday mornings, to avoid peak usage times. We would appreciate the opportunity to discuss a compromise that allows us to continue our work.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Arthur Penhaligon

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response maintains a consistently formal tone while addressing all bullet points with specific, relevant details that justify the request. A common Band 6 error is failing to propose a concrete alternative schedule, instead providing only vague requests for the manager to 'reconsider' the decision.

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

utilise: To make practical and effective use of something
ensemble: A group of musicians, actors, or dancers performing
fostering: Encouraging or promoting the development of something
civic engagement: Individual or collective actions designed to identify issues
peak usage: Times when a facility is most heavily occupied
compromise: An agreement reached by each side making concessions

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.

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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.