General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Letter to school principal regarding cancelled work placement

You are a student at a language school in New Zealand studying Business English. Part of the course is a summer work placement programme. Unfortunately, you have just learnt from the school that this programme has now been cancelled.

Write a letter to the School Principal. In your letter:

state your reason for writing
describe the problem and your concerns
explain what you would like the Principal to do

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 express my profound disappointment regarding the recent notification that the summer work placement programme, which was a core component of my Business English course, has been cancelled.

When I enrolled in this programme, the internship opportunity was the primary factor in my decision, as I require practical experience in a New Zealand corporate environment to complement my academic studies. The sudden cancellation of this placement leaves me in a difficult position, as I have already organised my accommodation and budget based on the assumption that I would be employed during the summer months. I am deeply concerned that without this professional exposure, the course will no longer meet the learning objectives I was promised upon registration.

I would appreciate it if you could clarify the reasons behind this sudden cancellation. Furthermore, I request that the school provides an alternative placement with a partner organisation or offers a partial refund of my tuition fees to compensate for the reduction in course value. I look forward to your prompt response regarding how the school intends to rectify this situation.

Yours sincerely,

Julian Thorne

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response addresses all three bullet points with a clear, professional tone and logically developed ideas. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to explain the personal impact of the cancellation, leading to a shallow letter that lacks clear justification for their requests.

Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.
If you know the person's surname, use Dear Mr or Ms and close with Yours sincerely.
No contractions, no slang; polite indirect requests such as I would be grateful if you could.

Useful phrases from the letter

profound: very great or intense in feeling or quality
core component: a central or essential part of something
complement: something that completes or makes a pair
professional exposure: gaining experience through working in a career
rectify: to put something right or correct a mistake
compensate: to provide something in recognition of loss

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

On your phone? Get the BandLadder app.

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.