General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · request

Letter to the Principal Regarding Sports Facility Improvements

You are studying at a college which has very limited sports and leisure facilities for students.

Write a letter to the principal. In your letter:

outline the situation
propose ways to improve this situation
request a meeting to discuss this

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 concern regarding the current lack of sports and leisure facilities available to students at the college. As our student body continues to expand, the absence of adequate amenities is becoming increasingly detrimental to our physical well-being and overall campus experience.

Currently, our campus offers only a small, poorly equipped gym that is frequently overcrowded. This limited access discourages students from engaging in regular physical activity, which is essential for maintaining a healthy balance alongside our rigorous academic schedules. Furthermore, there are no designated spaces for team sports or recreational social activities.

To address these issues, I propose that the college board considers converting the underutilised storage block behind the library into a multi-purpose sports hall. Additionally, installing basic outdoor equipment, such as table tennis tables or a small basketball court, would provide affordable and effective leisure options for students during breaks.

I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss these suggestions with you in person. Please let me know your availability for a brief meeting next week to explore how we might enhance the college’s facilities for everyone.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan Miller

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

Why this scores well

This letter achieves Band 8 by addressing all three bullet points with specific, logical suggestions while maintaining a consistently professional and persuasive tone. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to offer concrete proposals, instead merely complaining about the situation without suggesting how it might be resolved.

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

detrimental: tending to cause harm or negative impact
amenities: useful or desirable features of a building or place
rigorous: extremely thorough, exhaustive, or demanding in nature
underutilised: not being used to its full potential or capacity
enhance: to intensify, increase, or further improve the quality
availability: the quality of being able to be used or reached

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.