General Training Writing Task 1 · semi-formal · application

Letter to manager applying for a full-time position

You work a part-time job in a company, and the company posted an advert seeking a person for a full-time position.

Write a letter to your manager requesting to apply for the advertised position. In your letter:

why do you want to apply
what are your future goals
why would it be beneficial for the company

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 formally express my interest in the full-time administrative assistant position recently advertised on the company notice board. Having thoroughly enjoyed my time working part-time in our logistics department over the past six months, I am eager to transition into a permanent, full-time role within the organisation.

My decision to apply stems from a strong desire to take on greater responsibilities and deepen my involvement in our daily operations. I have found the company culture incredibly motivating and believe that a full-time commitment would allow me to contribute more effectively to the team’s success.

Regarding my future goals, I aim to develop a long-term career path within the firm, specifically focusing on supply chain management. By securing this position, I hope to gain comprehensive experience that will eventually enable me to lead process improvement initiatives.

I believe my appointment would be highly beneficial for the company, as I already possess a solid understanding of our internal systems and team dynamics. This familiarity ensures that I would require minimal training, allowing me to maintain high productivity levels immediately upon transitioning to the new role.

Thank you for considering my application.

Yours sincerely,

James Bennett

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

Why this scores well

This letter achieves Band 8 by addressing all three bullet points with specific, relevant details while maintaining a perfectly consistent semi-formal tone. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to link their personal goals to the company's benefit, resulting in an unbalanced or underdeveloped response.

Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.
Polite and friendly at once: a few contractions are fine, slang is not. Close with Yours sincerely or Kind regards.
State the purpose in the first two sentences; small talk costs words you need for the bullets.

Useful phrases from the letter

transition: to change from one state to another
deepen my involvement: to become more active and engaged in work
long-term career path: a series of jobs leading to professional growth
comprehensive experience: knowledge that is complete and includes many elements
internal systems: the specific software and processes used by companies
minimal training: requiring very little instruction to perform a task

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?

Semi-formal. Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.

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.