General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · application

Letter to local council offering voluntary services

You live in an English-speaking country and you want to do some voluntary work.

Write a letter to the local council to let them know the following. In your letter:

why do you want to do this voluntary work
what your skills and experience are
what can you do as a volunteer

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to express my keen interest in undertaking voluntary work within our local community. Having resided in the district for several years, I would welcome the opportunity to contribute my time and energy to support our neighbourhood initiatives.

My primary motivation for seeking this role is a desire to give back to the area that has provided such a welcoming environment for my family. I believe that active participation in community projects is essential for fostering local cohesion and improving the quality of life for all residents.

Regarding my background, I possess extensive experience in event coordination and administrative support from my professional career in project management. Furthermore, I am a proficient communicator and have previously served as a mentor for youth literacy programmes, which has equipped me with the patience and interpersonal skills necessary for community engagement.

As a volunteer, I am prepared to assist with a variety of tasks, including organising community outreach events, providing administrative support at the community centre, or helping with local environmental clean-up drives. I am flexible regarding my availability and am happy to commit to regular weekend or evening shifts.

I look forward to hearing about potential opportunities.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Sterling

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with specific, relevant details while maintaining a consistently professional and formal tone throughout. The most common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to provide specific examples of skills or services, resulting in a vague letter that lacks sufficient development.

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

keen interest: a very strong desire or enthusiasm for something
resided: a formal way to say lived somewhere
cohesion: the action or fact of forming a united whole
extensive experience: a large or considerable amount of practical knowledge
proficient: competent or skilled in doing or using something
outreach: the activity of providing services to people in need

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.