General Training Writing Task 1 · semi-formal · request

Letter to manager requesting a computer replacement

You have been working in a company for the last two years. Recently, your computer in the office has started giving some problems and it is affecting your work performance.

Write a letter to your manager. In your letter:

describe the problem
explain how it is affecting your work
write what you want him to do regarding it

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 bring to your attention a persistent issue I have been experiencing with my office workstation over the past two weeks.

The computer has become increasingly unstable, frequently freezing during high-intensity tasks and occasionally shutting down without warning. Despite my attempts to restart the system and clear temporary files, the hardware seems to be failing, as the screen often flickers and the fan emits a loud, grinding noise.

This situation is significantly hindering my productivity. As my role requires managing large datasets for our quarterly reports, the constant crashes force me to redo hours of work. Furthermore, the slow processing speed makes it impossible to attend virtual client meetings efficiently, which reflects poorly on our professional standards.

Could you please authorise a replacement for this machine? I have spoken with the IT department, and they confirmed that the motherboard is beyond repair. I would appreciate it if a new laptop could be ordered by the end of the week so that I can resume my normal workflow without further disruption.

Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Alex Rivers

188 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, logical details while maintaining a consistently professional semi-formal tone. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to explain the link between the technical fault and the specific impact on their work, often remaining too vague.

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

persistent: continuing to happen in a way that is annoying
high-intensity tasks: work requiring a lot of effort and power
hindering: making it difficult for someone to do something
quarterly reports: documents produced every three months about business performance
authorise: give official permission for something to happen
resum: to begin again after a pause or interruption

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.