General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · making arrangements

Letter to new manager requesting a start date change

You successfully passed a job interview. You are expected to start on November 15, but you will not be available on that date.

Write a letter to your new boss. In your letter:

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 delighted to have been offered the position of Senior Analyst and am very much looking forward to joining your team. However, I am writing to discuss the proposed start date of November 15.

Due to a pre-existing commitment involving an overseas family matter that was finalised prior to my interview, I will unfortunately be out of the country on that date. I had intended to resolve this before accepting the role, but the travel arrangements were unexpectedly brought forward by the organisers.

I am deeply concerned that this absence might cause inconvenience to the department during my initial onboarding week. It is important to me that I make a seamless transition into the team, and I am anxious that missing my first few days could disrupt the planned training schedule.

To rectify this, I would like to propose starting on November 20 instead. I am more than happy to make up for the missed time by working additional hours during my first month or completing any preparatory reading remotely while I am away. Please let me know if this adjustment is acceptable.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan Miller

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with a professional tone and a logical flow that justifies the request. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide a specific, plausible reason for the absence, or neglecting to offer a concrete solution to mitigate the impact of the delay.

Useful phrases from the letter

pre-existing commitment
an obligation or arrangement made before now
finalised
completed or settled in its final form
inconvenience
a state of trouble or minor difficulty
seamless transition
a smooth change from one state to another
rectify
to put something right or correct a mistake
preparatory reading
material studied in advance of 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?

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.

What does the examiner look for?

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with a professional tone and a logical flow that justifies the request. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide a specific, plausible reason for the absence, or neglecting to offer a concrete solution to mitigate the impact of the delay.

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