General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · other

Letter to the club manager opposing facility closure

A sports club in your area is about to be closed and you oppose to that.

Write a letter to the manager of the sports club. In your letter:

say since when you have been going to the club
mention activities you do there
make suggestions about why the club must stay open

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 formally express my strong opposition to the proposed closure of the Riverside Sports Centre. As a dedicated member, I believe this decision would be a significant loss to our local community.

I have been a regular attendee at the club for over seven years. Initially joining to improve my cardiovascular health, I have remained a loyal member ever since, finding the facility indispensable to my weekly routine.

My primary activities include attending the early morning spin classes and utilizing the swimming pool three times a week. These sessions are essential for my physical well-being and provide a vital social outlet that is difficult to replicate elsewhere in the district.

Regarding the club’s future, I suggest that the management team explores launching a tiered membership scheme or hosting weekend tournaments to boost revenue. Alternatively, collaborating with local schools for daytime facility rentals could maximize usage during off-peak hours and secure the necessary funding to remain operational.

I trust you will reconsider this closure and keep the facility open for all residents. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on these proposals.

Yours sincerely,

Arthur Pendelton

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all bullet points with specific, relevant details while maintaining a professional and persuasive tone. A common Band 6 error is failing to provide concrete suggestions for keeping the club open, instead offering only vague complaints about the closure.

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

indispensable: absolutely necessary and impossible to do without
replicate: to make an exact copy of something
district: an area of a country or city
tiered membership: a system with different levels of access
off-peak: times when demand is at its lowest
operational: in a state of working or functioning

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.