General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · giving information

Letter to course lecturer withdrawing from evening classes

You are employed full-time and also doing a part-time evening course. You are not able to continue the course.

Write a letter to the course lecturer. In your letter:

explain why you cannot continue the course
describe the situation
say what you will be doing about it

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Dr. Aris,

I am writing to formally notify you that I must withdraw from the Advanced Graphic Design evening course, which I have been attending for the past month.

Recently, my responsibilities at my full-time position have increased significantly due to a sudden restructuring within my department. I am now required to work late shifts several evenings a week to meet project deadlines, which directly conflicts with the scheduled lecture times. Consequently, I find it impossible to maintain the level of attendance and focus necessary to complete the course requirements successfully.

I have already spoken with the administration office regarding this matter. They have provided me with the necessary withdrawal forms, which I intend to submit by the end of this week. I would appreciate it if you could confirm that my records have been updated to reflect my early departure from the programme.

I sincerely regret that I cannot complete this course under the current circumstances, as I have found the curriculum highly engaging. Thank you for your understanding and for the support you have provided thus far.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan Miller

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response achieves all task requirements by presenting a clear, professional explanation for the withdrawal while maintaining a consistent formal tone. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to mention the administrative steps taken to withdraw, or providing an overly informal tone that is inappropriate for academic communication.

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 choose to leave or stop participating in something.
restructuring: The act of organizing a company in a new way.
conflicts with: To happen at the same time as something else.
consequently: As a result of a particular situation or event.
curriculum: The subjects that are included in a course of study.
engaging: Something that is very interesting or pleasant.

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.