General Training Writing Task 1 · semi-formal · request

Letter to manager requesting professional development training

You work for a company. You have seen some information online about a training course that would be useful for your work.

Write a letter to your manager. In your letter:

give details of the course
say how the course would be useful
explain how the company could help you do this course

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 that I enrol in an upcoming professional development programme titled 'Advanced Data Analytics for Business', which is being hosted by the Global Institute of Technology next month.

The course spans three days and focuses on predictive modelling and data visualisation techniques using industry-standard software. It is specifically designed for professionals in our sector, offering practical, hands-on workshops that bridge the gap between theoretical data sets and actionable business insights.

Completing this training would be highly beneficial for my current role in the marketing department. As we are preparing for the upcoming quarterly review, the skills I acquire would allow me to provide more accurate forecasts and identify consumer trends more efficiently. This would ultimately help our team refine our targeting strategies and potentially increase our conversion rates.

To facilitate my participation, I would appreciate it if the company could cover the registration fee of £450 and grant me leave for the three-day duration. I am happy to present a summary of the key takeaways to the rest of the team upon my return to ensure the knowledge is shared effectively.

Thank you for considering this request.

Yours sincerely,

James Sterling

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

Why this scores well

This response achieves Band 8 by addressing all three bullet points with specific, relevant details while maintaining a professional and persuasive tone. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to link the course benefits directly to the company's specific needs, often providing vague reasons instead.

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

enrol: to officially sign up for a specific course
predictive modelling: using statistics to forecast future business outcomes
actionable: information that can be used to take action
refine: to improve something by making small adjustments
facilitate: to make a process or action easier
takeaways: key facts or points learned during an event

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.