General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · advice

Letter to Company Suggesting Community Funding Priorities

A large company in your area has decided to spend a certain amount of money, either to sponsor a local children's sports team for two years or to pay for two open-air concerts. It has asked for feedback from the general public.

Write a letter to the company. In your letter:

describe the benefits of sponsoring a sports team
summarise the benefits of paying for the concerts
say how you think the company should spend the money

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to offer my perspective regarding your generous initiative to invest in our local community. Having considered both options, I would like to outline the potential impact of each choice.

Sponsoring a children's sports team offers long-term benefits for the youth. Regular physical activity fosters discipline, teamwork, and healthier lifestyles, which are essential for personal development. Furthermore, two years of stable funding ensures consistent equipment and coaching, providing a reliable support system for local families who might otherwise struggle with these costs.

Conversely, hosting two open-air concerts would undoubtedly boost local morale and provide accessible entertainment for all residents. Such events often draw crowds, which can significantly increase foot traffic for nearby small businesses, thereby providing a temporary economic stimulus to our district.

While both proposals have merit, I strongly recommend that you choose to sponsor the children's sports team. Investing in our youth creates a lasting legacy that continues to yield benefits long after the two-year period concludes, whereas concerts offer only fleeting enjoyment. Thank you for your commitment to improving our local area.

Yours faithfully,

Arthur Pendelton

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response fully addresses each bullet point with extended, relevant ideas and maintains a consistent, professional tone throughout the text. A common Band 6 error is failing to provide a clear personal recommendation or simply listing facts without explaining the specific benefits to the community.

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

fosters: encourages the development of something positive
consistent: acting or done in the same way over time
morale: the confidence and enthusiasm of a group of people
economic stimulus: an action intended to encourage growth in the economy
merit: the quality of being particularly good or worthy
fleeting: lasting for a very short time

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.