General Training Writing Task 1 · semi-formal · request

Letter to manager requesting permission for a presentation

You recently attended a conference and you would like to give a presentation about the information you gained by attending the conference.

Write a letter to your manager asking for permission to give a presentation. In your letter:

describe what type of presentation you have in mind
what topics it would cover and how long it would take
who should participate in the presentation
where should it be conducted

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 propose a brief session to share the key insights I gathered during last week’s International Marketing Conference. I believe the information I acquired could be highly beneficial for our current quarterly strategy.

I envision a practical, slideshow-based presentation that focuses on three main pillars: emerging digital trends, sustainable supply chain management, and innovative customer retention techniques. The presentation would last approximately forty-five minutes, leaving fifteen minutes at the end for an interactive question-and-answer session to ensure the team fully understands the implementation potential.

I recommend that all members of the marketing and sales departments participate, as these departments would gain the most from these new methodologies. It is vital that we align our approaches to stay ahead of our competitors.

Regarding the venue, the executive boardroom would be ideal, as it allows for the necessary audiovisual equipment and comfortable seating for the staff. I have already verified that the room is available next Tuesday afternoon.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this proposal and am happy to adjust the format if you believe another approach would be more suitable.

Yours sincerely,

James Sterling

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all four bullet points with professional, specific detail and maintains a consistent semi-formal tone. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to specify a location or timeframe, or using an overly informal tone inappropriate for a manager.

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

key insights: important and valuable pieces of new information
emerging digital trends: new developments that are currently becoming popular
implementation potential: the possibility of successfully putting plans into action
methodologies: a set of methods used in a particular activity
audiovisual equipment: tools that use both sound and visual images
align: to arrange things to be in the correct position

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.